Akko Kagari and the White Witch
by Red Reef
Summary: The White Witch Izetta was said to be the Eclipse Queen's right hand and now she is headed to Luna Nova Academy. Secrets and hidden truths are abound as Akko Kagari continues her question to find Shiny Chariot. But what she may finds might not be what she is hoping for.
1. Stan-Bot Delivery Service

**Akko Kagari and the White Witch**

 **Chapter One: Stan-Bot Delivery Service**

Akko was never the most attentive student even before she went to Luna Nova. When summer holidays came around, she always put off her homework until the last minute so that she could go play with Hikari and the others on the beach, and this time was no different.

It was nearly midnight, and she was lying on her stomach in bed, blankets drawn over her head like a tent, a flashlight in one hand and her _History of Magic_ book propped open against the pillow as she turned to chapter six ( _Witchcraft of the 14_ _th_ _Century_ ). Akko moved the tip of her pen down the page, frowning as she looked for something that would help her essay assignment: " _Choose a human or Demi-Human of note from the 14_ _th_ _Century and discuss how and why they were accomplished._

Akko had chosen to write her report on Chaika Gaz the Coffin Princess and one of the Nine Olde Witches. Her pen paused at the top of a likely-looking paragraph. Akko moved her flashlight a little closer to the book, and read:

 _ **The Coffin Princess Chaika was not one person, but a title carried  
by numerous orphaned girls kidnapped and brainwashed by the  
then Evil King, Arthur Gaz. The most famous among them was  
Chaika Trabant, for her defeat of the Evil King and recognition  
as a member of the Nine Olde Witches. Chaika Trabant was an  
exceptional witch even among other Chaika for her skill with  
high-precision magic and a general understanding of advance  
combat technology. Chaika Tranbant was renowned for her  
battlefield prowess and is widely regarded as the inventor of  
modern military magic. During the Hundred Years War, Chaika  
Tranbant was credited for building the defensive barriers that  
surrounds Luna Nova Magical Academy alongside Grimoire  
Master Zero. Her military magic has served as a foundation  
for many war heroes including Mavis Vermillion –**_

Akko took the pen she had been unconsciously gnawing on and began to write, pausing every now and then to listen, listening for the sounds of her dad's heavy snoring down the hall, or the shuffling of her mom's feet when she got up to go to the bathroom. Blair's soft purrs were coming from her cat bed in the corner, so she was safe in that regard. She highly doubted that either women would be happy about her staying up past her bedtime, even if it was for homework.

Shuichi and Kaori Kagari loved Akko, even if they had a hard time understanding her. It wasn't from a lack of trying, but raising a Demi-Human who would end up on the roof after sneezing or accidentally turned the kitchen blue when she tried to use magic to wash the dishes made things a little difficult. For you see, Mr. and Mrs. Kagari were not Demi-humans. They had found Akko on their doorstep one morning thirteen years ago curled up with a purple cat and a green bauble. They had always wanted a child for their own, so they took Akko and raised her to be as normal as normal could be, even if she hung out with the most unusual crowd. It wasn't until she turned eleven that Akko found out the truth: she was a witch and her real mother was the famous Shiny Chariot whom she looked up to since she was a child. When Akko received her letter from Luna Nova Magical Academy, they were afraid Akko might be heading into trouble (and they weren't wrong), but they learned to accept it and told her they were so proud.

But being a witch and going to a school of magic didn't make her any better of a student. Quite the contrary, Akko Kagari was famous in Luna Nova as the _worst_ student to ever set foot in the academy. She was always falling asleep in class, she could barely perform the simplest of spells, and she was getting in trouble every other day for something. Teachers feared the very sight of her walking into their classroom and had added protective barriers to the classrooms when Akko started blowing things up repeatedly. She had a particularly acidic relationship with Professor Finnelan, the Alchemy teacher, who would love nothing more than an excuse to expel Akko and be rid of her once and for all. Thank goodness Akko was proficient in the literary subjects like History of Magic and Magic Astrology or Professor Finnelan would certainly get her wish.

And yet, despite her numerous flaws, she was still chosen by the Claiomh Solais – AKA the Shiny Rod – the single most powerful magical artifact in the world. She couldn't understand why the Shiny Rod had bonded with her. She sucked when it came to magic. If anything, it would have been better off in the hands of her rival (and schoolgirl crush) Diana Cavendish. Unlike Akko, Diana was the best student in Luna Nova, even surpassing some of the teachers in skill and knowledge. But yet, the Shiny Rod chose her. Not that Akko was complaining, mind you; she was ecstatic. The previous wielder of the Shiny Rod had been Shiny Chariot and was Akko's best bet of finding out what happened to her parents. In the past two years, Akko had collected two of the Seven Stars of Arcturus and both times had been the result of a near-death experience. If the pattern repeated itself, it was likely she would find the third Star by the end of this year, though she kindly wishes she could avoid the near-death part….

Of course, she would have never made it this far without her friends helping her along the way. Lotte, Akko's best friend at Luna Nova, had always stood by her side even when everyone else had turned against her last year during the Purifier Plague. Her support was what really pushed her through that dark time. And then there was Sucy, her part-friend and part-nightmare; a morbid little witch who specialized in poisons and fantasized about mutilations. She regularly used Akko as a Guinea pig for her experiments, most of the time when she was asleep and unable to defend herself. And Akko could never forget Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka – the trio with a deserved reputation for being even bigger troublemakers than Akko, and they did it on purpose. With Amanda's thief skills combined with Constanze intelligence and Jasminka's strength, they were the most formidable group since Sly Cooper.

It had been a while since she had heard word from any of them, coming up to the third week without a message from anyone. Akko started to wonder if Marianna was tampering with her e-mails like last year. She was lucky enough to have her old school friends to distract her over the summer. Keeping up with Hikari, an overly active vampire, was tiring enough, but when you combined that with Shinobu's blonde obsession on top of having five blondes in her group of friends, it was a surefire recipe for disaster. They still had to work on weekends to pay for the damages at that one maid café….

Akko finished writing about Chaika Tranbant and paused to listen again. The silence in the dark house was broken only by the distant, grunting snores of her father. _It must be very late,_ Akko thought. Her eyes were itching with tiredness. Perhaps she'd finish this essay tomorrow night….

She closed the cover on her _History of Magic_ book, got out of bed, and put her essay, flashlight and textbook into her bedside drawer. Then she stood up, stretched, and checked the time on the luminous alarm clock on top of her dresser.

It was one o'clock in the morning. Akko's stomach gave a funny jolt. She had been thirteen years old, without realizing it, for a whole hour. It honestly felt strange to be here after thirteen years of her life. After everything that had happened in the past two years, Akko was amazed she had even lived to become a teenager. She didn't know if she was supposed to feel anything different now that she had passed adolescence – did Demi-humans go through magical puberty?

Akko walked across the dark room, past Blair's cat bed, to the open window. She leaned on the sill, the cool night air pleasant on her face after a long time under the blankets. As she allowed her mind to wander over the past couple years, one of Akko's bangs kept falling over her eyes, which was starting to get annoying every time she pushed it out of the way. She really should consider getting it cut, but then again, what's the point?

Akko, though still rather small and skinny for her age, had grown a few inches over the last year. Her long, brunette hair, however, was just as it always had been – stubbornly untidy, no matter what she did to it. Her eyes had as faint hint of redness to them, which she inherited from Chariot, and stretched across her back, running down from her neck to the base of her spine, were seven scars perfectly chiseled like four-pointed stars.

Of all the unusual things about Akko, these scars were perhaps the most extraordinary of all. Her parents had kept the truth about these scars for the first ten years of her life until the day she received her letter to Luna Nova and Blair explained everything. Akko was the Star-Born Child – a prophesied symbol whose birth would open the doors to the New Golden Age of Magic, releasing magic that had once been trapped in the Lay Lines so that Demi-humans could walk freely. It was also her unusual birth that led to the death of Aradia, the enigmatic dark witch that had terrorized the world without ever revealing her presence. To this day, many still believed that Aradia was still alive and many still feared to speak her name. Akko had never encountered Aradia herself, but she could hear the fear in everyone's voice when she was mentioned….

No one other than her friends know about Akko's secret and she prefers to keep it that way. She had seen how everyone flocked to Diana because of her family name and Akko had to give credit to her for not just blasting everyone when they started to get annoying. Every once in a while, Akko traced the scars on her back, contemplating their meaning. It didn't escape her notice that the positioning of the scars was exactly the same as those on the Shiny Rod. There had to be connection there somewhere, but she couldn't figure out what it could be.

She was gazing absently over the rooftops, mulling over the significance of her scars and the Shiny Rod, when she spotted something above.

Silhouetted against the blue moon, and growing larger every moment, was a swarm of large, strangely shaped creatures, and they were flying in Akko's direction. She stood quite still, watching them sink lower and lower. For a split second she hesitated, her hand on the window latch, wondering whether to slam it shut. But then the swarm soared over one of the street lamps, and Akko, realizing what they were, leapt aside.

Through the window buzzed what must have been half a dozen flying drones with tiny propellers keeping them aloft; Blair somehow managed to remain asleep despite the noise. They were each carrying large packages of various sizes. Akko recognized the drones at once – they were Constanze's Stan-bots, only it looked like she had figured out how to mass produce them. They dropped the packages on Akko's bed, made a quick beeping noise, and flew out of the room just as quickly as they came.

Akko stayed rooted in her spot for a moment, blinking absently at the strangeness of it all, before turning back to the small mountain of parcels that covered more than half her bed. At the top of the pile, on top of a thin, square package wrapped in black and gold paper, was a letter with the Luna Nova crest. Akko decided to set it aside for a moment, saving it for last, and picked up the next package, which was wrapped in mint-green paper covered in gear print. She ripped it open and discovered a square silver box. She knew right away what it was – it was a Stan-bot, although it was slightly smaller than than the ones that had come through her window; it only fit into the palm of her hand. None the less, Akko giggled and pressed the button, watching the tiny box transform into a miniature Stan-bot that looked up at her and waved. It's so cute, Akko thought.

She set the tiny Stan-bot on the nightstand and noticed that there was a piece of paper still in the wrapping. She pulled it out and realized that it was a newspaper clipping. Akko sat on her bed, smoothed it out over her lap, and read:

 **TEENAGE GERMAN GIRL RECEIVES ARACHNE GENIUS GRANT**

 _ **Constanze Amalie von Braunschbank Albrechtsberger has won the annual  
Arachne Genius Grant for her contributions to Magical Science. At the stunning  
age of thirteen, Constanze (etc.) Albrechtsberger is the youngest member to  
ever receive this prestigious award.**_

 _ **Many great scholars and inventors from all over the world were in attendance**  
 **for Constanze's acceptance award, including Magitronic inventor, Croix Meridies,**  
 **Head of the Magical Research and Development, Presea Testrossa, Superintendant**  
 **of Academy City, Aleister Crowley, World Leader in Alchemy Science, Edward Elric,**  
 **CEO of Capsule Corporation, Bulma Briefs, and famous White Wizard Noah**_

 _ **Constanze has yet to reveal what she plans on doing with the grant, but Professor  
Croix Marides told our reporters, "Whatever she has planned, I'm certain it will be  
world-changing. I am proud to teach such a bright young girl and I know Master  
Noah will agree with me when he starts at Luna Nova this year".**_

 _ **Though she had been approached by the Magic Council, Miss Albrechtsberger  
has decided that she will return to Luna Nova Magical Academy to finish her  
education. She is currently in her third year.**_

Akko scanned the provided photograph and a grin spread across her face as she saw Constanze holding a trophy with a big smile and a Stan-bot at her hip surrounded by several men and women all kneeling to match Constanze's height. Constanze was incredibly tiny for her age, so much so that she barely came up to Akko's waist, and it didn't look like she had grown since the last time they met. The other people must have been the other scientists mentioned because kneeling directly to Constanze's left was Professor Croix, smiling proudly into the camera.

Akko was happy to see that Croix was doing well after everything that had happened last year. She had always been a good teacher to them and Constanze was so lucky to have a kind mentor like her just as Akko was lucky to have someone like Ursula on her side.

Akko couldn't think of anyone who deserved to win such an award than Constanze, who was always inventing new and creative techno-magic ever since Akko met her. It wouldn't surprise her if Constanze revolutionized the way magic worked in the future.

She set the clipping aside and unwrapped the next package, which had donut wrapping paper – this had to be Jasminka. Akko ripped off the paper and found a square box underneath. She opened the box and couldn't hold back a smile when she found a delicious-looking chocolate cake topped with strawberries with " _Happy Birthday, Akko_ " written in red icing. Jasminka was a culinary master that always made the best sweets. To be able to get a cake from her was a rare privilege indeed.

There was a letter tucked between the folds of the box, but it didn't appear to be in Jasminka's handwriting. One look at the untidy scrawl on the front and Akko knew at once that it belonged to Amanda O'Neill. That figured, Akko thought. Amanda was the richest among her friends next to Diana, but she was too lazy and cheap to go out and get her own gift, so she piggybacked on Jasminka's. Akko rolled her at her delinquent friend's antics and unfolded the letter

 _Hey, Akko,_

 _Happy Birthday!_

 _You lived to see another year! I know, I'm shocked, too._

 _I'm actually over here in Moscow with my mom on a very important business meeting – something to do with the Magic Council or whatever –  
And I ran into Jasminka at the Red Square. I asked my mom if I could spend the rest of the break here, so that's why I'm sending this letter with  
the cake – I don't wanna hear any complaining about not getting a gift from you. You never got me a present last year._

 _It's actually pretty cool over here. Jas's family are amazing cooks, even better than Alphonse (please don't tell him I said that). I've been touring  
around Moscow for a while and they have some pretty interesting stuff; not to mention a lot of valuables that I'm sure the president wouldn't  
mind letting me "borrow"._

 _By the way, did you see the newspaper about Constanze? I always believed in that tiny genius. You think she wouldn't mind sharing some of that  
grant money with me, do you? I could use a little to buy myself a new broom since mom is still sour about me breaking the last one._

Akko remembered only too well the occasion when Amanda's old broom had snapped. It had happened when they flew all the way to Luna Nova from New York and ended up crashing into a giant Mandrake on the school grounds that Sucy affectionately named Gora-chan.

 _We're heading up to London to get our new books the week before school starts. Any chance of meeting you there? Try not to do something  
stupid that'll get you expelled, like blowing up a relative. Then again, this is you we're talking about._

 _Amanda_

Akko snorted and set aside the cake and letter, then reached around for her next present. The paper had a lot of wet marks and there was a horrible smell coming from it and – wait, is it gurgling? Akko held the package out at arm's length and noticed that a letter seemed to be stuck on the bottom. Akko carefully peeling it off and saw Sucy's name written in loopy writing. Akko had a very bad feeling about it, very familiar with what Sucy considers a present. She pried the paper open and read:

 _Happy Birthday, Akko. If you've made it this long, then you definitely have a strong immune system to resist all my poisons. Speaking of which, I'm sending you a new type of venom. I was hoping you could –_

Akko didn't even finish reading – she chucked the letter and the package out the window. She was fairly certain she heard something that sounded like the pavement being melted.

She let out and exasperated sigh and turned to the rest of her presents, hoping they would be better. She opened a humble package wrapped in plain paper. Inside was a bronze bracelet that looked a little big to fit on Akko's wrist. A note fell out and Akko saw Lotte's name scribbled on the front.

 _Hello, Akko,_

 _Happy birthday. I hope you're doing well._

 _I wanted to give you something since I couldn't get anything last year. This is called a Truth Bracelet. If anyone around you is lying, the bracelet  
will vibrate. I thought you could use something like this after last year. Granny says that it wouldn't work well in school because students are  
always lying about doing their homework, but I thought you might like it._

 _Have you thought about my offer about coming to visit? I know there isn't a whole lot of magic stuff in Espoo, but it'd be nice to have a friend  
around to hang out with. I could show you my family's shop, too. Also, did you hear about Constanze. She's so amazing! Getting a prestigious  
award like that._

 _Amanda says we're meeting up on the last day of holidays. Think you can make it? I hope you can._

 _Love from,_

 _Lotte._

Akko put the Truth Bracelet on her bedside tables, where it remained perfectly still, reflecting the luminous numbers of her clock. She really wished she had this last year; it would have saved her a whole lot of trouble with Eveline. She looked at it happily for a few seconds, then picked up the next package.

Inside this, too, there was a present, a card, and a letter, this time from – Akko's heart jumped up to her throat – Diana.

 _Dear, Akko_

 _I wish to extend a sincere happy birthday from myself, Hannah, and Barbara._

 _We are currently on holiday in France at the moment and I wasn't certain how I was going to send this to you – human mail can be so unreliable –  
but then one of Miss Albrechtsberger's drones turned up. I think she wanted to make sure you got something for your birthday this year. I bought  
your present on a recommendation from Barbara. She said it was a thank-you present for helping Hannah and I last year. And speaking of Miss  
Albrechtsberger, I suppose you saw the news as well. Though I am not particularly keen towards magic-fueled technology, I cannot deny the  
hard work she must have put in to earned such a prestigious award. Barbara is a little jealous, even if she won't admit it. I guess she was hoping  
to be Professor Croix's favorite._

 _I hope you remembered to do your summer homework. I myself am learned many interesting local facts on magical history here. I've rewritten my  
entire History of Magic essay to include some things that were not in the textbook. I hope it's not too long – it's six sheets more than Professor Lenz  
asked for._

 _I received word that everyone will be in London in the last week of the holidays. Perhaps we shall meet there. Although, be warned, I know Andrew  
will be in the city as well on official business with his father at that time. Promise me you two won't get into another fight. If we cannot meet, then I  
shall see you on the Mystic Rail on September first._

 _Sincerely,  
Diana Cavendish_

Akko couldn't stop grinning as she stared at the name written in fancy letting, knowing it was Diana's hand that wrote it. She sighed as she put the letter aside and picked up her present. It was very heavy. Knowing Diana, she was sure it would be a large book full of very difficult spells – but it wasn't. Her heart gave a huge bound as she ripped back the paper and saw a sleek black leather case, with silver words stamped across it, reading _Broomstick Maintenance Kit._

"Wow, Diana!" Akko whispered, unzipping the case to look inside.

There was a large jar of high-finish broom polish, a pair of gleaming silver tail-twig clippers, a tiny brass compass to clip on your broom for long journeys (which seemed useless since Shooting Star had a better sense of direction than any human or Demi-human) and a _Handbook of Do-It-Yourself Broomcare._

Apart from her friends, the thing that Akko missed most about Luna Nova was Chariot Racing, the most popular sport in the magical world – highly dangerous, very exciting, and played on broomsticks. With the sentient broom Shooting Star as her lifelong partner, Akko gained recognition as the greatest Racing in Luna Nova and had been the youngest person in a century to be picked for one of the Luna Nova House teams. Akko missed riding on Shooting Star whether it was for a race or just for a joyride. She loved the weightless feeling she got as they soared high above the clouds with the wind whipping in her face.

Akko put the leather case aside and picked up her last package. It was small and thin – roughly the size of a book. She saw the professional neon-green letters scribbled on the black and gold paper and recognized the signature at once: this was from Annabel Crème, the author of _Nightfall_ and Magical Literature teacher at Luna Nova. Akko had become good friends with Annabel at the end of last year.

She tore off the paper and glimpsed at the extravagantly cover of the new book that fell into her lap. The front was bursting with color as the main protagonist – their face obscured by their pointed hat – soared across the cover on her broomstick, leaving a looped trail in her wake. Within the trail were many people and creatures that we likely characters in the book including a majestic dragon rearing its head in front of a white tower. And tucked in the corner of the book near the end of the witch's broom was the title: _**Little Witch Academia Vol 1: A New Beginning.**_

"So cooool!" squeaked Akko. She could definitely see how the protagonist resembled herself; Akko was honored that Annabel would model a character after her. She set the book aside with a muffled squeal of excitement and reached for Annabel's card.

 _Happy birthday, Akko!_

 _Do you like the new book? It turned out even better than I had expected. Writing a new book is a whole lot easier when you start with a clean slate.  
I can make the world how I want it instead of following the formula made by the previous Annabels. My publisher thinks it will be my best work  
yet. And even though only one book has been made, an animation studio called Trigger thinks they can turn it into an OVA. _Night Fall _never had its  
own animation before! It's so exciting!_

 _I'm really glad you and Lotte decided to take Magic Literature for your elective again this year. We'll actually be going over_ Little Witch Academia  
 _in the second term, so I thought you might like one. I autographed it, of course, and I even sent one to Lotte – I'm sure she'll be over the moon._

 _I look forward to seeing you in class._

 _Best wishes,  
Annabel Crème_

Akko hadn't really considered taking Magic Literature again after Annabel's disaster term last year, but she figured she deserved to be given a second chance. And Lotte was very, _very_ insistent. She put Annabel's card next to the others, grinning more broadly than ever. Now there was only the letter from Luna Nova left.

Noticing that it was thicker than usual, Akko slit open the envelope, pulled out the first piece of paper within, and read:

 _Dear Miss Kagari,_

 _Please note that the new school year will begin on September the first. The Mystic Rail will arrive at your nearest train station and will be  
expected to leave at eleven o'clock._

 _Third years are permitted to visit the town of Byltonbury on certain weekends. Please give the enclosed permission form for your parent  
or guardian to sign._

 _A list of books for next year is enclosed._

 _Yours sincerely,  
Professor A. Finnelan  
Deputy Headmistress_

Akko had only seen Blytonbury from the station where the Mystic Rail dropped them off, but she never had the chance to go through the town since they had taken the traditional first year path and, of course, she missed the station entirely in her second year. According to the rumors, there were a number of amazing shops that catered to human and Demi-humans, including the famous Rabbit House café. It would be wonderful to visit the town on weekends with her friends.

She looked over at the alarm clock. It was now two o'clock in the morning.

Deciding that she'd worry about the Blytonbury form when she woke up, Akko got back into bed and reached up to cross off another day on the calendar she used to count down the days until her return to Luna Nova. She lay her head down, eyes open, facing her birthday cards.

Extremely unusual though she was, at that moment Akko Kagari felt just like everyone else – glad that it was her birthday.

* * *

 **This was a nice, relaxing chapter to recap everything that had happened over the past two books and to catch up on how everyone had been doing since the end of the last book (and a little bit of info dumping too). I would like to point out that Constanze's award is an important plot point for her character, but it won't be revealed until later books. If you can figure out why, I will be very impressed. I know quite a lot of people have been waiting for this book (mostly due to Izetta), so I hope I can do it justice.**

 **Next chapter: Aunt Kirai's Big Mistake**


	2. Aunt Kirai's Big Mistake

**Akko Kagari and the White Witch**

 **Chapter Two: Aunt Kirai's Big Mistake**

Akko went down to breakfast the next morning to find her father sitting at the kitchen tablet with his morning newspaper and her mother making French toast. In the adjoining living room, she could see Blair the Cat sitting in the high-backed loveseat with her wide, golden eyes staring unblinkingly at the television. It was slightly unusual for Blair to stay in her feline form during the mornings when she usually came downstairs buck naked just for the effort of teasing Akko and Mr. Kagari at the expense of getting whacked over the head with a frying pan by Mrs. Kagari.

Akko sat down at the table across from Mr. Kagari, a thin, almost gangly sort of man with often unkempt brown hair and round, wire-frame glasses. He gave a stiff good morning to Akko when she entered the kitchen, but his mind seemed distracted. Working at a technical firm, her father always seemed to be a little distracted as he read the business section, but Akko noticed that his attention was directed solely at something on the front page, with a heavy frown. Akko raised her brow suspiciously, but said nothing as she looked up at the reporter on the television, who was halfway through a report on an escaped convict:

"…The public is warned that the Demi-human known by the alias Izatta the White Witch is extremely dangerous and should not be approached. A special hotline has been set up, and any sightings of Izetta should be reported immediately."

"Wait, what?" Akko sputtered, nearly choking on her own spit.

Akko knew the name Izetta – she had heard of it many times over the past two years. But it couldn't have been the same person; it was just a coincidence.

But as the news report switched over to a mugshot of the escaped convict, Akko immediately recognized the woman from the hundreds of times she would stare at her mother's old school photo. Izetta looked just as young as she had been back when she was a student at Luna Nova, but her face was terribly gaunt, her skin covered in a thick layer of grime, and her bright-red hair was a matted tangle around her face. It suddenly struck her why Ursula said they didn't like to talk about her when Akko asked in her first year.

The reporter had reappeared.

"Ooarai Girls High School has recently defeated Selection University and the controversial shut down of the school ship has been cancelled – "

"Wait, that's it?" shouted Akko, jumping up from her seat as Blair shut the television off with the remote. "They didn't even tell us where she was last seen? She could be walking up the street right now! And knowing my luck, it's probably true!"

"Calm down, Akko-nyan," said Blair, slinking into the kitchen and jumping on the table. "There's no reason she would have to come here."

"But, Blair, she - ," said Akko, lowering her voice so that her parents wouldn't hear. "She's one of the Guardians of Arcturus, ain't she? She could have one of the Seven Stars for the Shiny Rod."

"They didn't find the Star on her when she was caught thirteen years ago," muttered Blair. "Whatever she did with it, she doesn't have it anymore."

A plate clattered hard on the table and Akko and Blair immediately straightened up. Mrs. Kagari, who was just as tall as her husband, but looked less awkward and had sleek black hair that flowed down her back, glared at Akko with her hands on her hips. Compared to Mr. Kagari's laid back style of parenting, Mrs. Kagari was a strict, no-nonsense kind of person that didn't approve of her daughter's scheming. She was perhaps the only person in the world that terrified Akko more than Professor Finnelan.

"Whatever you two are plotting, it had better stop right now!" said Mrs. Kagari, pointing at them to emphasize her words. "You are still on extremely thin ice, Akko, for the broom flying incident and the monster hunting thing."

"W-we're not plotting anything, Kaori-nyan!" Blair babbled quickly, waving her paws in surrender. "I'm just telling Akko-nyan to stay out of trouble, that's all!"

"Right…," Mrs. Kagari said in a way that meant she didn't believe her when she glanced at the clock on the wall. "Well, lucky for you two, I have to get going in a minute. I have to pick up Kirai up at the station at ten."

Akko, who had been sipping her orange juice, choked and spewed all over Blair; the witch-cat sat motionless with dripping fur, frowning.

"Kirai-Obasan?" Akko blurted out. "Sh – _she's_ not coming here, is she?"

"Unfortunately," Mr. Kagari grumbled.

Aunt Kirai was Mrs. Kagari's sister. She lived out in the country in Hokkaido, in a house with a large garden, where she owned a nice plot of farmland that had belonged their family for generations. Mrs. Kagari, being the older sister, had been set to inherit the land until she decided to attend school in Tokyo and met her father before settling down in a nice neighborhood near Shibuya. Aunt Kirai always resented Mrs. Kagari for leaving the family business, but she hated Akko even more because she was not Mrs. Kagari's child by blood. Since Akko was adopted, Aunt Kirai saw her as nothing more than a leech sucking her sister dry. And on top of everything else, Aunt Kirai was a deeply religious woman that held a passionate hatred for magic and Demi-humans, which made Akko even worse in her eyes for having so many Demi-human friends. More than once, Akko considered that she might have been a member of the Purifiers (an anti-Demi-human cult).

Aunt Kirai didn't often visit them, but each of her visits stood out horribly vivid in Akko's mind.

When Akko first met her friend, Hikari the vampire, during her fifth birthday party, Aunt Kirai had noticed Akko being too friendly with the "spawn of Satan" and verbally attacked them until they cried and had to be comforted by their mothers. A few years later, she had turned up at Christmas where she had "accidentally" trampled all over Akko's new Shiny Chariot figma figurine. On her last visit, the year before Akko started at Luna Nova, Mr. and Mrs. Kagari had gone to the store for an hour to collect things for dinner, and when they came back, they found Akko and Blair suspended from the tree in their backyard, shivering from the cold autumn winds. The memory of this incident and the fever she had the week following still haunted Akko.

"Kirai will be here for a week," said Mrs. Kagari. "I don't want to hear any complaining from either of you" – she pointed a threatening figure at Akko and Mr. Kagari – "and I want to get a few things straight with you both before I go and collect her."

"Ugh, aren't we being punished enough with your sister visiting us?" groaned Mr. Kagari.

"And that," snapped Mrs. Kagari, "is point number one. I expect you both to keep a civil tongue in your head when you're talking to Kirai."

"I will if she does," said Mr. Kagari bitterly.

"Point number two," said Mrs. Kagari, acting as though she had not heard her husband's reply, "is about you, Akko. Kirai is the only one in the family who doesn't know you're a witch, so we intend to keep it that way. So please no magic in the house or anywhere near her."

"How does she not know I'm a Demi-human?" asked Akko. "You put it in the family newsletter."

"She already hates you for being adopted," said Blair, licking her fur of the orange juice. "Why add on top of that?"

"And point number three," said Mrs. Kagari, "since she doesn't know you're a Demi-human, she doesn't know where you've been going to school for the past two years. So if she asks, we will tell her that you have been attending Honnoji Academy of Excellence. That place has a reputation for being the strictest Human/Demi-human school in the continent."

"I can vouch for that," said Blair. "I went to visit the year before Akko went to Luna Nova and that Satsuki Kiryuin girl gave me a week's detention in an isolation box for littering."

"As long as everyone sticks to their stories, we should be able to survive the week with my sister," said Mrs. Kagari. "I don't want any funny business from any of you."

Akko sat there, white-faced and frowning, staring at her mother, hardly able to believe what was happening. Aunt Kirai coming for a week-long visit – it was the worst birthday present she had ever gotten, including Sucy's jar of poison, which, last she checked, had left a gaping hole in the street. Sensing her daughter's distress, Mrs. Kagari swept around the kitchen table and held Akko close.

"I know this isn't your ideal birthday, Akko," said Mrs. Kagari sympathetically. "But don't worry, I already planned ahead for this. I asked Momoka if they could have your birthday party over at Midori-ya. I already called everyone's parents and they'll be headed there later in the afternoon. You can head over after you greet your aunt properly."

"Can I go, too?" Mr. Kagari asked hopefully.

"No," Mrs. Kagari answered shortly; Mr. Kagari cursed. "You knew what you were getting yourself into when you married me. Now, I have to be off to the station. Make sure everything is neat and tidy by the time we get back. You know my sister will find any reason to complain. I'll see you in a bit."

Akko, who had been sitting in a kind of horrified trance, had a sudden idea. Abandoning her French toast (which Blair took advantage of), she got quickly to her feet and followed Mrs. Kagari to the front door.

Mrs. Kagari was pulling on her coat when she came up.

"You're not considering going with me, are you?" she asked worriedly.

"Not in a million years," said Akko. "I just wanted to ask you something."

Mrs. Kagari eyed her suspiciously.

"Third years at Luna Nova are allowed to visit Blytonbury sometimes," said Akko. "I need you or dad to sign the permission form."

"You could have asked me any time, Akko," said Mrs. Kagari, taking the keys off the hook next to the door. "Why do it now?"

"Because this is Kirai-Obasan we're talking about," said Akko, frowning at the mere mention of _that woman_. "You know how evil she is. Last time she visited was before I knew I could accidentally use magic. Kirai-Obasan is always picking on me and my friends and it always makes me so angry. What if I accidentally get angry enough to blow her up into a fat balloon and send her flying all the way to Shibuya Square? That's why you have to sign my permission form before she gets here, Otherwise, you might forget to sign it after or decide not to sign it at all."

"Well, that is a valid point," said Mrs. Kagari thoughtfully. "Buuut…I think I'll save that for after Kirai leaves next week."

"Wait, what?" Akko gaped; that plan went south really fast. "Why?"

"As incentive for you to be on your best behavior," said Mrs. Kagari. "You really shouldn't have said all that stuff about blowing up your aunt. I would have just signed that permission form right away."

"Yeah, now that I've had a moment to think about it," said Akko, rubbing her chin, "that probably wasn't my smartest move."

"I'll be watching your behavior carefully during Kirai's visit," said Mrs. Kagari. "If, at the end of it, you've toed the line and haven't destroyed anything with magic, your father and I will sign your form."

She wheeled around and stepped out the front door. Akko stood in the middle of the hallway, listening to the car's engine turn over and back out of the driveway when she heard her mother shouting from outside; sounded like she drove over the new hole in the street.

Akko didn't return to the kitchen. She went back upstairs to her bedroom. If she was going to act like a normal Human, she'd better start now. Slowly and sadly she gathered up all her presents and her birthday cards and stuffed them deep in the closet. She gathered up all of her school supplies and stuffed them into her bags. She hesitated to take down her Shiny Chariot poster, whimpering like she was ripping off a bandage when she finally gained the nerve. And last, but certainly not least, her most prized possession, the Shiny Rod. The gilded staff felt welcomingly cold in her touch as the two Stars of Arcturus glimmered in the sunlight. That's when Blair slipped in through the crack in her bedroom door and leaped onto her dresser.

"What'd you take all your stuff down, Akko-nyan?" asked Blair. "You're not getting tired of Chariot, are you?"

"Never," said Akko gloomily. "Listen, Blair, I need a favor from you."

"Anything," said Blair.

"I need you to go away for a week," said Akko. "Just until Kirai-Obasan leaves. I don't want to take the risk of you forgetting she's here and walking around naked down the hall."

"Can't say I'm happy about this," said Blair, frowning. "But I get what you're saying. Though aren't you taking this 'hiding your Demi-human status' thing a little too far?"

"It's not my fault," Akko grumbled. "It's the only way I'll be allowed to visit Blytonbury with Lotte and my friends."

Ten minutes later, Blair had transformed into her human shape and summoned a massive floating pumpkin from her hat. The two of them said their good-byes before Blair took off over the rooftops and out of sight. Akko, now feeling thoroughly miserable, got down on her stomach and shoved the Shiny Rod as far under her bed as her arm could reach.

But Akko didn't have long to brood. In next to no time, Mr. Kagari was calling up the stairs for Akko to come down and get ready to welcome their guest.

"Think there's a possibility she won't be an absolute nightmare?" Akko asked when she reached the hall.

"I've known that vindictive woman for close to sixteen years now," said Mr. Kagari miserably. "So it's very unlikely."

All too soon, they could hear the car pulling up into the driveway outside, then a clunk of car doors slamming and footsteps on the garden path.

"I guess one of us should get the door for them," said Mr. Kagari anxiously.

"Not it!" Akko shouted quickly.

"Dang it!"

A feeling of great gloom filled Akko's stomach as Mr. Kagari pulled the door open.

On the threshold stood Aunt Kirai. She was very much like Mrs. Kagari: tall without being awkward, lengthy smooth black hair, and almost virtually flawless skin like a true Japanese beauty. The only real difference between the sisters was that Aunt Kirai's hand were calloused from years of working on the farmland. She had an enormous suitcase in her hand, which she immediately thrust into Mr. Kagari's stomach, knocking him flat on his back. Akko watched her father squirm like an upended turtle. Another thing about Aunt Kirai was that plowing the fields really build up a lot of muscle, so it was natural to say that she was very strong (though not nearly as strong as Jasminka). Aunt Kirai scoffed and rolled her eyes, lifting the suitcase off him one-handed, and set it down next to the staircase.

"And you call yourself a man," Aunt Kirai sneered at him. "I cannot fathom what my sister sees in a namby-pamby boy like you. She deserves someone better like our old neighbor Kouji. Now there's a fine man."

"Good to see you, too, Kirai," said Mr. Kagari in a low grumble.

"Speak properly, you useless twit!" snapped Aunt Kirai.

Mrs. Kagari now came in, smiling nervously as she shut the door.

"Can I get you some tea, Kirai?" she said. "I also have those sweet cookies you like so much."

"At least one person in this house is capable," said Aunt Kirai as they all proceeded into the kitchen, leaving Akko alone in the hall with the suitcase. But Akko wasn't complaining; any excuse not to be with Aunt Kirai was fine by her, so she began to heave the case upstairs into the guest room, taking as long as she could.

By the time she got back to the kitchen, Aunt Kirai had been supplied with tea and cookies and chatting animatedly with Mrs. Kagari. Akko saw her father sitting at the end of the table as far away from his sister-in-law, looking rather pathetic as he slumped against his seat.

"So how was this year's harvest, kirai?" Mrs. Kagari asked.

"Quite possibly the best crop since Otousan was in charge," boomed Aunt Kirai. "There were so many this year that I had to hire some part time workers for help. You remember Kazuho Miyauchi – the one that liked to sleep all the time. She's the teacher at the school now. I asked her if she could get her students to help me out. Little Renge is so adorable, but Yukiko Koshigaya's daughters are quite a handful. There is also a new girl who moved into the countryside recently. I think her name was…Hotaru something…."

The chair scrapes across the kitchen floor as Akko sat down. This directed Aunt Kirai's attention to Akko for the first time.

"So!" she barked. "Still here, are you?"

"Yes," said Akko.

"Don't you say 'yes' in that ungrateful tone," Aunt Kirai growled. "It's damn good of nee-san to keep you. Wouldn't have stood for keep a leech like you around. You'd have gone straight to an orphanage if you'd been dumped on _my_ doorstep."

Akko was just burning to run upstairs, grab the Shiny Rod, and blast Aunt Kirai all the way to Greenland, but the thought of the of the Blytonbury form stopped her. She forced her face into a painful smile.

"Don't you smirk at me!" boomed Aunt Kirai. "I can see you haven't improved since I last saw you. I hoped school would knock some manners into you." She took a large gulp of tea, wiping her mouth with the back of her hands, and said, "Where is it that you send her, again, Nee-san?"

"Honnoji Academy of Excellence," said Mrs. Kagari promptly. "It has a very strict curriculum and low-tolerance policy towards troublemakers."

"Yet they don't seem to have a policy against the Demi-human filth they let in," Aunt Kirai sneered. "They had better be disciplining this one properly." She gestured at Akko.

"Er – "

She looked to her dad for help, but he seemed rather preoccupied with something that only he could see outside the window. Okay, that was just pathetic, Akko thought.

"Yeah," said Akko. Then, feeling she might as well do the thing properly, she added, "Miss Kiryuin punishes me all the time for my behavior."

"Excellent," said Aunt Kirai. "I won't have this wishy-washy nonsense about not hitting people who deserve it. Back in our day, our teacher would beat us over with a cane whenever we stepped out of line. It builds discipline. A good thrashing is what's needed in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred. Have _you_ been beaten often?"

"Oh, yeah," said Akko, "loads of times."

Aunt Kirai narrowed her eyes.

"I don't like your tone, girl," she said. "If you can speak of your beatings in that casual way, they clearly aren't hitting you hard enough. Nee-san, I'd write to them if I were you. Make it clear that you approve the use of extreme force in this girl's case."

Mrs. Kagari muttered under her breath without really saying anything. Akko loved her mother, but she hated how submissive she was to someone who was supposed to be two years younger than her. She had no trouble telling off Akko and Mr. Kagari whenever they did something, but she always went out of her way to please the rest of her family. It made no sense; Akko certainly wouldn't have done it.

Thankfully, Mr. Kagari was quick to provide an exit for her.

"Say, weren't we headed to Midori-ya, Akko?" he said quickly. "We'd better hurry or we'll be late."

Happy to have a reason not to be around Aunt Kirai any longer, Akko all but jumped out of her seat and ran to the front door.

* * *

As Aunt Kirai started to make herself at home, Akko suddenly started thinking almost longingly that she was with Professor Finnelan instead, which had never happened before. Finnelan hated Akko, but at least she tried to keep her as far away as humanly possible, which Akko was only too happy to do. Aunt Kirai, on the other hand, wanted Akko under her eye at all times, so that she could boom out suggestions for her improvement. She pointing out the numerous flaws in Akko from her appearance to her personality. She also kept throwing out dark hints about what made Akko such an unwanted and unloved person.

"You mustn't blame yourself for the way the girl's turned out, Nee-san," she said over lunch on the third day. "If there's something rotten on the _inside_ , there's nothing anyone can do about it."

Akko tried to concentrate on her food, but her hands shook and her face was starting to burn with anger. _Remember the form_ , she told herself. _Think about Blytonbury. Don't say anything. Don't rise –_ "

Aunt Kirai reached for her glass of _sake_.

"It's one of the basic rules of breeding," she said. "You see it all the time in the livestock. If there's something wrong with the mother, then more often than not, there'll be something wrong with the calf – "

At that moment, the glass Aunt Kirai was holding exploded in her hand. Shards of glass flew in every direction and Aunt Kirai sputtered and blinked, her face dripping. Thankfully, she had noticed that there had been a transparent green energy surrounding the glass before it blew up.

"Kirai!" yelled Mrs. Kagari. "Kirai, are you all right?"

"Not to worry," grunted Aunt Kirai, mopping her face with her napkin. "Must have squeezed it too hard. Did the same thing at Miyako's the other day. No need to fuss, Nee-san, I have a very firm grip…"

But Mr. and Mrs Kagari were both looking at Akko with worry apparent on their faces, so she decided she'd better skip dessert and escape from the table as soon as she could.

Outside in the hall, she leaned against the wall, breathing deeply. It had been a long time since she'd lost control and made something explode. Last time it had happened, she had been in the middle of a parade and turned a harmless fairy into a fiery beast that burned the whole street. He couldn't afford to let it happen again. The Blytonbury form wasn't the only thing at stake – if she carried on like that, she'd be in trouble with the Magic Council.

It wasn't illegal to use magic outside of school, but there were several laws instated to keep Demi-humans from doing whatever they wanted. One particular law that Akko had gotten in trouble with last year on her birthday was that a Demi-human could not use magic to harm a human unless it was out of self-defense. The Magic Council sent her an official warning that had stated quite clearly that if they got wind of any more magic like that, Akko would face expulsion from Luna Nova.

She heard her parents and aunt leaving the table and hurried upstairs out of the way.

* * *

Akko got through the next three days by forcing herself to reciting passages from her _Little Witch Academia_ book whenever Aunt Kirai started on her. This worked quite well, though it seemed to give her a glazed look, because Aunt Kirai started voicing the opinion that she was mentally subnormal.

At last, at long last, the final evening of Kirai's stay arrived. Mrs. Kagari cooked a fancy dinner and Mr. Kagari begrudgingly uncorked a very strong bottle of _sake_ that he had gotten as a gift from Miss Kobayashi called Dragonslayer (the irony was not missed by any of them). They got all the way through the miso soup and the _yakizakana_ without a single mention of Akko's faults; during lemon pie, Mr. Kagari bored them all with a long talk about his job, which almost lulled Akko to sleep until she smacked her head on the table and shot straight up. The entire time, Aunt Kirai's glass had not once been emptied of _sake_ , always refilling it when it was halfway, much to Mr. Kagari's despair.

"Aah," said Aunt Kirai, smacking her lips and refilling her cup to the brim once more, thoroughly emptying the entire bottle. "Very excellent meal tonight, Nee-san. I normally stick to either raw vegetables or microwave dinners since I'm always so tired after working in the fields. And as for you, Shuichi, this is some quality _sake_ you managed to get a hold of. Nice to see that you're capable of doing something right. It has to be hard enough on Nee-san just being married to you."

"Now, this one – "

She jerked her head at Akko, who felt her stomach clench. _Remember your book_ , she thought quickly.

"This one is completely useless, even worse than useless what with making 'friends' with those disgusting monsters. That there is a sign of poor breeding. Absolutely no human pride. Wouldn't surprise me if she was one of those sickening animals the way she acts."

Akko was trying to remember her favorite scene in chapter eleven when the main character, Anko, went down to search for treasure in the tower.

"It all comes down to blood, as I was saying the other day. Bad blood will out. Now, I'm not saying anything about your skills as a parent, Nee-san, I'm sure you'd make a fine mother when you have a _real_ child" – she patted Mrs. Kagari hand, who looked increasingly uncomfortable as the conversation went on – "but this one was simply born a bad egg. You can't be held responsible for someone else's unwanted mistake."

Akko was staring at her plate, a funny ringing in her ears. She tried to remember the part when the bullies accidentally released the dragon, but she couldn't recall what happened next. Aunt Kirai's voice seemed to be boring into her like a drill.

"Tell me," said Aunt Kirai loudly, downing the last of her _sake_ in one gulp, "did you ever find out what tramp left this sorry excuse for a human being on your doorstep?"

Mr. and Mrs. Kagari were looking extremely tense.

"We uh – we don't know," said Mr. Kagari with half a glance at Akko. "Never said anything on the note."

"As I expected!" said Aunt Kirai. "She was probably some street corner whore who stupidly got knocked up and dumped the girl off at the nearest convenient place."

"She was not," said Akko suddenly. The table went very quiet. Akko was shaking all over. She had never felt so angry in her life.

"Hey, anyone need me to grab some more _sake_!" yelled Mr. Kagari, who had gone very white. "I'm sure there's some more around here somewhere. Ah, but Akko, you look tired. Maybe you should go on up to bed – "

"Shut up, Shuichi!" hissed Aunt Kirai, holding up a hand, her tiny bloodshot eyes fixed on Akko's. "Go on, girl, go on. Proud of your parents, are you? The ones who couldn't wait to throw you away, probably drunk and pumped full of drugs – "

"You don't know anything about my mom!" said Akko, who found herself on her feet. "She's the greatest person in the world! Hundred times better than you!"

"As if I would believe that bullshit, you nasty little leech!" screamed Aunt Kirai. "Your mother was a slut and a deadbeat and she left you to be a burden on my decent, hardworking Nee-san! You are an insolent, ungrateful little – "

But Aunt Kirai suddenly stopped speaking. For a moment, it looked as though words had failed her. She seemed to be swelling with inexpressible anger – but the swelling didn't stop. Her great red face started to expand, her tiny eyes bulged, and her mouth stretched farther than humanly possible. The next second, her skin started to turn a dirty gray color, her hair seemed the recede inside her skull, and her hands and feet turned into flat stubs The kitchen echoed with the sounds of ripped stitching as her clothes fell off into tiny pieces. She opened her mouth again, but all that came out was a bellowing grunt.

Mr. and Mrs. Kagari leapt out of their seats as Aunt Kirai toppled forward on all-fours, smashing the table underneath her weight. They gasped and quaked as the massive form of Aunt Kirai make a lot of grunting noises and started stomping her feet angrily, which caused the entire house to tremble. Finally, Aunt Kirai bellowed, turned around, and stampeded through the backdoor, running across the backyard until she smashed her way through the wooden fence into the neighbor's yard. Mr. and Mrs. Kagari leaned out of the broken window, mouths agape, before turning on Akko.

"Akko…sweetie…did you just…," Mrs. Kagari mumbled weakly.

"Turn your aunt into a hippo?" Mr. Kagari added helpfully.

Akko was trembling all over, fear racing through her brain. In that moment, she did the only thing she could think of: Akko tore from the dining room before anyone could stop her, sprinting upstairs to her bedroom. She ripped open her closet and started piling everything she owned into her trunk, including her birthday cards and presents. She then threw herself under the bed and wrenched the Shiny Rod out from under it. She grabbed a belt from her dresser and looped it around her waist before tucking in the Shiny Rod so that she would have it ready at any moment. She latched up her trunk and dragged it downstairs to the front door, just as Mr. and Mrs. Kagari burst out of the dining room.

"Akko, where are you going!" shouted Mrs. Kagari fretfully.

"I have to go," said Akko, breathing very fast. "The Magic Council will be here any minute. I can't stay here. I need to run."

She fumbled behind her for the latch on the door.

"Akko, you don't have to go anywhere," said Mr. Kagari, eyes bulging with worry. "We can sort this out. We – we can talk to them. Fix this. Please, don't do this – "

"I'm sorry, Okaasan, Otousan," said Akko, her voice hitching as her eyes started to water. "I'm so, so sorry…."

And in the next moment, she was out in the dark, quiet street, heaving her heavy trunk behind her, ignoring her parents calling out to her in the night.

* * *

 **I went into this chapter trying to make Aunt Kirai the most vindictive and heartless woman that everyone loves to hate. Think I did the job well? And it looks like Akko is in a bit of trouble with the Magic Council again, though let's be honest here, it's a miracle she hasn't gotten into any trouble before this point in the story. And I'm sure more than a few of you will understand the significance of the particular kind of magic Akko used in this chapter.**

 **Next Chapter: Space Patrol Luluco**


	3. Space Patrol Luluco

**Akko Kagari and the White Witch**

 **Chapter Three: Space Patrol Luluco**

Akko was several streets away before she collapsed onto a low wall in Nabeshima Shoto Park, panting from the effort of dragging her trunk. She sat quite still, anger still surging through her, listening to the frantic thumping of her heart.

But after ten minutes alone in the dark, a new emotion overtook her: panic. Whichever way she looked at it, she had never been in a worse fix. She was stranded, quite alone, in the dark unknown world, with absolutely nowhere to go. And the worst of it was, she had used some serious magic against a Human, which meant that she was almost certainly expelled from Luna Nova. She had broken the International Charter for the Relations of Humans and Demi-Humans so badly, she was surprised the Custody Enforcement Unit weren't swooping down on her where she sat.

Akko shiver and looked up and down Nabeshima Shoto Park. What was going to happen to her? Would she be arrested, or would she simply become an outlaw. She thought of Lotte and her friends, and her heart sank even lower. Akko was sure that, criminal or not, her friends would want to help her now – Amanda would likely be enthusiastic about her new criminal status – but all of her friends lived in different parts of the world, too far for any of them to be any help.

She didn't much money; maybe a thousand yen note in her pocket. She had a credit card at the bottom of her trunk which has access to a massive fortune from Shiny Chariot, but the rules about using this money were heavy restricted, particularly the rule that said if Akko dropped out or was expelled from Luna Nova, she would be cut off permanently. It looked like she was broke now….

She looked at the Shiny Rod, which she was still clutching in her hand. If she was already expelled (her heart was now thumping painfully fast), a little more magic couldn't hurt. She still had the Ring of Gyges that she inherited from her mother and she was getting better at using the telekinesis spell – what if she enchanted the trunk to make it feather-light, cast the Ring's magic over it and herself, and snuck aboard the train in Shibuya station? From there, she could use a similar method to sneak into the airport and stowaway on a plane to London, where she would hopefully run into someone from school. And after that…well, it was honestly amazing she was able to think that far ahead, if Akko was going to admit it, but it was better than sitting on this wall forever.

Akko opened her trunk again and pushed the contents aside, looking for the box that held her ring – but before she found it, she straightened, looking around once more.

A funny prickling on the back of her neck had made Akko feel she was being watch, but the park appeared to be deserted.

She bent over her trunk again, but almost immediately stood up once more, her hand clutching the Shiny Rod. She had sensed rather than heard it: someone or something was standing in the narrow gap between the trees just off the pathway behind her. Akko squinted into the darkness. She was about to use an illumination spell she had learned recently when it stepped out into the light of the walkway lamppost.

Akko stepped back, nearly tripping over her trunk as she clutched the Shiny Rod close to her chest like a safety blanket. A woman stepped out into the light, her bright-red hair a disheveled mess casting a shadow over her eyes, the cloak she wore frayed and tattered, and her skin clung so close to her bones, she looked almost skeletal. The woman stepped slowly, almost purposely towards Akko, her bony hand emerging from the cloak stretching towards her. _Why?_ Akko asked herself. _Why was Izetta here, of all place?_

As Izetta approached her, Akko suddenly remembered the Shiny Rod still in her hands. She already mastered two of the Words – surely one of them were enough to beat her, right?"

"Stay back! I know how to use this!" Akko shouted, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice. But Izetta didn't stop. "I warned you! _**Phaidoari –**_ "

" _ **Nix!**_ " snapped Izetta.

As if shot with an invisible cannon, Akko was tossed on her back, thankfully landing in the grass. She groaned and sat up while staring at Izetta, who had stopped near her trunk. Akko thrust the Shiny Rod forward, but soon realized that she couldn't feel the magical energy flowing through the Star as she usually could. It seemed almost impossible, but Izetta somehow nullified the Shiny Rod. Izetta remained rooted in her spot, leering down at Akko for the longest time, until she raised her right hand and created a red magic circle in the air without reciting any spells –

There was a deafening **BOOM,** and Akko threw up her hands to shield her eyes against a sudden blinding light –

With a yell, she rolled back onto the pathway, just in time. A second later, something large and made of metal scraped across the park, carving a massive trench into the grass exactly where Akko had just been lying. It was, as Akko saw when she raised her head, something that possibly resembled a spaceship, but it was incredibly shoddy and looked like it had been slapped together with whatever junk they could find. There were black letters that had been sloppily painted on the side that spelled _Space Patrol Ogikubo Branch_

In a world where magic and monsters existed, it didn't nearly surprise Akko that aliens might also exist as well, but she would have thought their spaceships would be a little more…well-made. Then the porthole on the side of the ship was kicked open and three people clambered out of them. One looked like a human Japanese girl, the second was a dashing blonde boy, and was a blue alien girl with three eyes. They appeared to be arguing.

"Midori, you planned the trajectory wrong! Look at what you did to the park!" shouted the human girl.

"Hey, don't blame my calculations for your crappy driving, Luluco!" the alien blue called Midori snapped back.

"Actually, I'm fairly certain it was because you both suck at your respective jobs," said the boy monotonously.

"You know, for a guy with no emotions, you really know how to cut, Nova," said Midori.

"Um…," said Akko hesitantly.

The three strange spacemen stopped abruptly. They turned around and caught sight of Akko, who was still sitting on the ground. Luluco gasped and quickly scrambled over to help Akko to her feet, dusting her off, and bowing politely with a practiced smile.

"Hello there! We are from the Space Patrol Ogikubo Branch, your standard officials of law enforcement for the defense against intergalactic crime! My name is Space Patrolman Luluco and I – "

"No one cares!" Midori shouted impatiently, promptly kicking Luluco out of the way. She got straight up in Akko's face, all three eyes leering at her. "Hey, kid, you've seen any criminal types around here? Maybe one worth a ship-ton of cash? We got an anemoneus –

"Anonymous," Nova interjected.

"Yeah that," said Midori quickly. Got a tip that a big cash grab was around here. Ya see any?"

"Oh…oh, yeah! She's right over – " said Akko frantically as she suddenly remembered why she had fallen over and turned around quickly to stare at the gap between the trees. The headlamps of the spaceship were flooding it with light, and it was empty.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" said Midori.

"There was someone there a minute ago," said Akko, pointing uncertainly into the gap. "I saw her on TV…I think it was Izetta…."

"The escaped convicted from the Earth news," said Nova. "She's classified as an Omega level threat by the Time-Space Administration Bureau and the Earth's Magic Council. Caution is advised."

"So she's worth a lot of cash, right?" said Midori, clapping her hands with an eager smile.

"But it doesn't look like she's there anymore," said Luluco, sliding up to the group. "Hmm, too bad. We could have really used the money."

"So um…are you guys with the Magic Council, by any chance?" Akko asked nervously. If any of them figured out who she was, there was a likely chance that she was in some serious trouble. She pulled up the collar of her shirt to hide the topmost scar on her back.

"Actually, our organization was absorbed by the Time-Space Administration Bureau some time ago," said Nova plainly. "After we spent a fortune on our anime, which failed spectacularly, we had no choice but to sell the right to the TSAB. Now we're just trying to find criminals we can exchange for a little money."

"We're really hurting for cash," said Midori.

"I…honestly have no idea what you guys are saying," said Akko.

"It's nothing; they like to break the fourth wall a lot," said Luluco casually; Akko didn't understand that part either. "Oh, we never asked, what's your name?"

"Barbara Parker," said Akko, saying the first name that came into her head.

"Are you going somewhere?" asked Luluco, taking notice of the trunk of the walkway. "It's really dangerous to be traveling in the middle of the night, especially for young girls like us. Hey, Midori, Nova, think we can give her a lift?"

"I don't care," said Nova, shrugging his shoulder.

"Well, I care," said Midori, frowning. "We can't just just give free rides out to random strangers – "

"I've got a thousand yen," said Akko, retrieving the note from her pocket.

"Deal!" said Midori, snatching the bill from Akko's hand.

"That was easy," said Akko. "So, you're ship…can it take me anywhere? Like, any place in the world?"

"If it's not deep space travel, then yes, we should be able to take you anywhere," said Nova. "Except, maybe, for any place underwater. Not sure if the ship's integrity could hold up to any depths."

"Can you get me to Finland?" Akko asked quickly. "I have a friend that lives there…although I really don't know where she lives exactly, but I know her family has a magic item shop in Espoo."

"Hmm, according to Google," Midori hummed, tapping away at her smartphone, "there's only one magic item shop in Espoo. There aren't a whole lot of Demi-humans that live in that area."

"That's gotta be the place!" said Akko.

"Then hop aboard and we'll get you there in no time!" said Luluco.

Midori and Nova hopped back inside the ship through the porthole, leaving Akko and Luluco to struggle with getting Akko's square trunk through the circular window. They had to throw their shoulders against it, but they successfully managed to get the luggage inside. Luluco offered a leg up and helped Akko slide inside.

The interior of the spaceship was just as shabby inside as it was outside. There were a dozen seats, but more than half of them were either garden chairs or metal folding chairs; they didn't even have seat belts, only bits of rope and cables. In the very rear of the ship were a couple of dark-haired men wearing handcuffs linked to the pipe above their heads. One of them was yelling, "This is all your fault, Kakarot! This should not be happening to me! I am the prince of – "

"You're about to be the prince of my foot up your ass if you don't shut up!" Midori shouted from the front.

"Those are some criminals we caught just before they we picked you up," said Midori, shoving Akko's trunk behind the driver's seat, which was an armchair in front of a steering wheel. "They were arrested for disturbing the peace."

"That means everyone was annoyed with them screaming at nothing for hours," said Nova casually, sitting on a stool next to the driver's seat.

"Hurry the hell up, Luluco," said Midori impatiently, fall back into a beanbag chair behind Nova. "I don't wanna stay in this crappy country any longer than I have to."

"Hey!" snapped Akko.

"Everybody, hang on to something," said Luluco, sitting down in the driver's seat and pulling a lever on the side.

There was another tremendous **BOOM** , and the next moment Akko found herself flying straight to the back wall of the ship next to the two arrested criminals, thrown by the speed of the spaceship. When the ship leveled out, Akko landed on her feet, shaking the dizziness from her eyes. She stared out of the dark window and saw that they were now bowling along a completely different street. Midori was watching Akko's stunned face with great enjoyment.

"This is where we were before we got the tip that lead us to you," she said. "Where're we again, Luluco?"

"Some place called West City," said Luluco. "Probably the ugliest city I've ever seen, and that's saying something since we live in Ogikubo."

"How come nobody can see us?" asked Akko, noticing that none of the people below are looking up at them. "Is the ship invisible."

"No, they're just too busy staring at their phones," said Nova monotonously. "They're so absorbed with their cellular devices that they don't pay attention to anything around them, let alone a giant spaceship floating over their heads."

"Hey, we're gonna have to make a quick stop to Era," said Midori. "The bosses want us to drop off the criminals we already caught."

"Got it!" shouted Luluco.

She pulled another lever on the ship's control panels and they were suddenly going twice as fast as they had been before, making it difficult to stand up. Akko was still looking out of the window, feeling increasingly nervous. Luluco didn't seem to have mastered the use of a steering wheel. Their ship kept scraping the pavement of streets and smashing its way through entire forests, losing several chunks of their outer plating. She seemed to be making an effort to crash into as many objects as she could; lines of lampposts, mailboxes, trashcans, and even a herd of yak, one of which somehow managed to slip in through the porthole and was now sitting in the lawn chair across from Akko.

Midori walked to the back of the ship uncuffed the two men from the pipe, having no trouble walking through the turbulence.

"All right, you washouts, get moving," said Midori impatiently as Luluco stamped on the breaks and Akko was pitched forward to the front, smacking face first into the windshield. Midori kicked the two men toward the porthole where a couple of men in fancy robes and capes were waiting for them. Akko could hear Midori calling them the Custody Enforcement Unit as she tossed the men outside; she ducked down immediately and covered her face. The leader of the Unit tossed something at Midori, who's eyes glimmered happily when she caught it; must be a wad of cash, Akko thought. Midori slammed the porthole shut; there was another loud **Boom** , and they were thundering down a narrow country lane, smashing an entire log cabin to pieces.

Akko, who had been tired after this long, hectic day, was too scared to close her eyes now that she was sitting in a screaming metal death trap that was banging ominously and jumping at a hundred miles at a time. Her stomach churned as she tried to distract herself with anything other than the ship potentially falling apart underneath her. Her mind ended up falling back to wondering what was going to happen to her, and whether if the Magic Council or animal control had caught up with her hippo-fied aunt.

Nova had unfurled a copy of newspaper that said _Space Patrol Daily_ and was reading silently, almost creepily so. A large photograph of a redheaded woman Akko had just seen not too long ago was blinking slowly at her from the front page. A strange stirring welled in her chest.

"That woman," Akko said, forgetting her troubles for a moment. "Izetta. What did she do that was bad enough to get her on a space newspaper?"

Nova turned to the front page and chuckled.

"Izetta the White Witch," he said, nodding. "I'm surprised you never heard the story. It was all over the world news over a decade ago."

He gave a superior sort of chuckle at the blank look on Akko's face, removed the front page, and handed it to Akko.

"You should read the papers more, Parker."

Akko held the paper up to the overhead light and read:

 **WHITE WITCH STILL AT LARGE**

 _ **Izetta, also known as the White Witch and arguably the most infamous  
prisoner ever to be held in Dol Gurdur, is still eluding capture, the Magic  
Council confirmed today**_

" _ **We are doing all we can to recapture Izetta," said the Magic Council  
chairman, Crawford Seam, this morning, "and we beg that the Demi-  
Human community to remain calm."**_

 _ **Seam has been criticized by some members of the International  
Confederation of Demi-Humans for informing the World Nastions  
and the Time-Space Administration Bureau of the crisis.**_

" _ **Well, really, I had to, don't you know," said an irritable Seam.  
"Izetta is insane. She is a danger to anyone she crosses. The Magic  
Council only has the power to protect our Demi-Human citizens, which  
is why we need the World Nations to watch over Humankind and the  
Bureau for our Alien brothers and sisters. I have their assurance that  
they will make capturing Izetta their topmost priority.**_

 _ **Many people still live in fear of the memory of the single greatest  
massacre in recorded history, when Izetta attacked the city of Zurich,  
Switzerland thirteen years ago, murdering one hundred and fifty-seven  
people with a single spell.**_

Akko looked into the shadowed eyes of Izetta, the only part of the sunken face that seemed alive. A shivered traveled up her spine, her hands shaking slightly. To think she had only been a few feet away. Akko had come close to death for what must have been a hundred times in the past two years, but something about Izetta just made it seem a bit more real.

"Scary-looking thing, isn't she?" said Nova, who had been watching Akko read.

"She murdered _one hundred and fifty-seven people_?" said Akko, handing the page back to Nova, "with _one spell?_ "

"Yep," said Nova, "in front of witnesses and all. Broad daylight. That's the kind of causality rate you would see at a bomb site or a battlefield."

Midori fumbled around in her beanbag, her hands folded behind her head, the better to look at Akko.

"They say she was a big support of that Eclipse Queen person everyone was raving about over a decade ago," she said.

"You mean Aradia," said Akko, without thinking.

"Yeah, that's the one," said Midori without flinching. Guess aliens aren't as afraid of the name as Demi-humans are. "Rumor has it that she was right up there in Queeny's inner circle, maybe even her right hand. Well, until she was taken out by that Star-Born Child thing or whatever – "

Akko nervously pulled up her collar again.

" – most of her supporters were never caught. The few that were didn't have a lot to say – looked like they had their brains wiped or something. That's what made Izetta so important. She was not only Queeny's second-in-command, but she also had inside information about everyone that supported her. Thanks to her, the Magic Council was able to catch a whole lot of the bad guys."

"How did Izetta get caught the first time?" asked Akko.

"That's the strangest part about it," said Nova, spinning around in his stool. "Izetta just walked out in the middle of the street right in the heart of Zurich when she used whatever spell she did and turned half the city into a crater. Hundreds of people died – Humans, Demi-Humans, it didn't matter. Even I think that's horrible, and I don't have any feelings. But the strangest things was what happened after."

"What happened?" said Akko.

"She started crying," said Nova. "Fell on her knees and cried, screaming at someone that wasn't there. And when reinforcements from the Magic Council got there, she went with them peacefully, tears streaming down her face like her puppy had just been run over. Of course, she has been deemed insane, hasn't she?"

"If she wasn't insane when she went to Dol Gurdur, she's bound to be now," said Midori. "I got sent there briefly when I was waiting to be transferred to the TSAB juvenile prison for selling that Blackhole App…. Worst twenty-four hours of my life, she added, shivering.

"And now she's out," said Nova, examining the newspaper picture of Izetta's gaunt face again. "There's never been a break out from Dol Gurdur, at least that's what it says according to the Earth papers. Nobody knows how she did it. If any of the rumors about the prison guards are true, it must have been some kind of miracle.

Luluco started grumbling in the driver's seat.

"Ahh! I don't understand anything you guys are saying!" she complained. "Can we talk about something else? I hate being left out!"

Nova put the paper away reluctantly, Midori went back to her smartphone, and Akko leaned against the window, feeling worse than ever. She couldn't help imagine what Midori might be telling anyone in a few nights' time.

"You hear about that Kagari kid? Turned her aunt into a hippo! We had her on our ship the other night, didn't we, Luluco? She was trying to make a run for it…."

She, Akko, had broken the law just like Izetta. Was turning Aunt Kirai into an oversized animal bad enough to land her in Dol Gurdur? Akko didn't know anything about the Demi-human prison, though everyone she'd ever heard speak of it did so in the same fearful tone. Professor Croix had spent two months there only last year. Akko wouldn't soon forget the look of terror on Croix's face when she had been told where she was going, and Croix was one of the bravest people Akko knew.

Their ship soared through the darkness, knocking over fences and trash cans, toppling telephone poles and trees, and Akko sat, restless and miserable, on her sofa cushion. After a while, Luluco got tired of piloting and asked Nova to take over. She pulled out a thermos of hot chocolate, but ended up splashing it all over Akko's face when they made the jump from Zambezi to Milan – akko was so used to having hot stuff thrown on her that she was unaffected by it. One by one, they jumped from country to country in the blink of an eye until they crossed the boarders between Sweden and Finland, skirting across the waters into Espoo.

"Hey, we made it to Espoo," said Luluco, clapping her hands. "Midori, where is that magic item shop again?"

"It's somewhere halfway up the street of Kylanraitti," said Midori.

"All right, then," said Nova. "Hold on tight…."

 **BOOM!**

They were thundering along dozens of streets that Akko couldn't even hope of pronouncing. Akko sat up and watched as Nova scrapped up the street and the sides of buildings, showing no improvement in driving skill compared to Luluco. It was still the middle of the day even though Akko had left Japan in the middle of the night – she had forgotten to take into account the time difference. There was a lot of screaming outside and Akko could only imagine the people on the sidewalks jumping out of the way of the crazy flying hunk of junk.

Nova slammed on the breaks and the ship skidded to a halt in front of a small and humble-looking shop between a music store and a florist, a slightly faded sign on the door calling it the "L Kiosk".

"Thanks, Akko said to Luluco.

She crawled out of the porthole and helped Luluco pull out her trunk onto the pavement.

"Well," said Akko. "Bye then!"

But Luluco, Nova, and Midori weren't paying attention. Still standing around the porthole, they were goggling at the entrance of the L Kiosk.

" _There_ you are, Miss Kagari," said a voice.

Before Akko could turn, she felt a hand on her elbow. At the same time, Luluco shouted, "Holy crap, that's her! Midori, can you let me borrow your camera phone? Please?"

"Only if you can get her to sign an autograph!" shouted Midori. "They're worth a lot more that way!"

Akko looked down at the owner on her elbow and felt a bucketful of ice cascade into her stomach – she had walked right into Miranda Holbrooke, Headmistress of Luna Nova Academy and one of the most powerful witches in the world.

Luluco and Midori plopped onto the pavement, but quickly picked themselves up and scramble up to Holbrooke.

"Miss Holbrooke, you are a magic legend!" gushed Luluco. "Even a normal girl like me has heard of you!"

"What part of you is normal?" Midori retorted.

"Would you mind getting a selfie with us?" asked Luluco, ignoring Midori's snide comment.

"Of course," said Professor Holbrooke, smiling. "Anything to thank the Space Patrol for delivery Miss Kagari safely."

While the Headmistress posed for the two eagers space patrolwomen, Akko thought it would be a good idea to sneak away. Unfortunately, she didn't even magic it two steps before Professor Holbrooke wordlessly levitated her off the sidewalk.

"I hope you weren't planning on running away again, Miss Kagari," said Professor Holbrooke. "We have a little matter to discuss first. Let's take this inside, shall we?"

Professor Holbrooke waved her hand and steered Akko inside the shop, pausing for a moment to levitate Akko's trunk as well before entering.

For being a magic item shop, the L Kiosk had very little to do with magic from what Akko could see. Most of it looked like ordinary items you would find at your local convenience store: canned foods, refrigerated water, snacks and chips. There was also a wall for outdoorsy stuff like tents, ropes, electric lanterns, winter gears, snow boots, and so on. There were a few items tucked in the corner of the shop that looked like they could be magical, but they were pretty dusty, like no one had bother with them for a very long time. A young redheaded woman with freckles was standing behind the counter.

"Is that her, Miss Holbrooke?" asked the freckled girl. "Do you want me to bring you anything to drink?"

"A pot of tea would be lovely, Anna," said Professor Holbrooke, who still hadn't let go of Akko. "We will be in the study if you need me."

Holbrooke marched Akko up the stairs and along a narrow hallway to a small study at the end. Holbrooke snapped her fingers, candles of warm blue flames burst to life on the walls, and finally set Akko down on her feet.

"Sit down, Miss Kagari," said Professor Holbrooke, indicating a chair next to a small tea table.

Akko sat down, feeling goose bumps rising up her arms despite the glow of the candles. Holbrooke climbed onto the seat opposite of her, removing her hat and tossing it aside, where it floated onto the hook of a coat rack next to the door. Just as Holbrooke moved around in her seat to make herself comfortable, Anna the counter girl appeared through the door, wearing an apron and bearing a tray of tea and a pastry called Hapansilakka pies. She placed the tray on the tea table between Holbrooke and Akko and left the study, closing the door behind her.

"Well, Miss Kagari," said Professor Holbrooke, pouring out tea, "you've had us all worried out of our minds, I don't mind telling you. Running away from home like that! I'd started to think…but you're safe, and that's what matters."

Holbrooke took a pie for herself and pushed the plate toward Akko.

"Eat, Miss Kagari, you look dead on your feet. Now then…. You will be pleased to hear that the Magic Council has dealt with the unfortunate metamorphosis of Miss Kirai Honoko. Two members of the Emergency Spellbinder Department were dispatched to your area a few hours ago. Miss Honoko had been humanized again and her memory has been modified. She has no recollection of the incident at all. They have also repair the destruction caused to your house. So that's that, and no harm done."

Holbrooke smiled at Akko over the rim of her teacup, rather like a grandmother surveying their favorite grandchild. Akko, who couldn't believe her ears, opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't think of anything to say, and closed it again.

"Ah, you're worried about the reaction of your parents might have," said Professor Holbrooke. "Well, I won't deny that your mother is extremely angry at you for running out of the house like that, Miss Kagari, but they don't blame you for what you did. In fact, right after Miss Honoko was turned back, I heard that your mother gave her quite the tongue-lashing. I guess having her daughter run out alone in the middle of the night was what set her over. I do believe Miss Honoko was more traumatized by her than she was at being transformed into a hippopotamus."

It didn't occur to Akko to add her own input; she was still waiting to hear what was going to happen to her now.

"So all that remains," said Professor Holbrooke, now stealing a second Hapansilakka pie from the plate, "is to decide where you're going to spend the last two weeks of your vacation. You are more than welcomed to stay here, if you'd like. My granddaughter would certainly – "

"Hang on," blurted Akko. "What about my punishment?"

Holbrooke blinked.

"Punishment?"

"I broke the law!" Akko said. "The International Charter for the Relations of Humans and Demi-Humans!"

"Oh, that!" said Holbrooke with an uproarious chortle. "My dear girl, the Magic Council isn't going to punish you for something you did on accident! And I don't remember them ever sending people to Dol Gurdur for turning their aunts into animals!"

But this didn't really tall at all with Akko's past dealings with the Magic Council.

"Last year, I got an official warning just because a ninja smashed a cake in one of my friend's face!" she told Holbrooke, frowning. "The Magic Council said I'd be expelled from Luna Nova if there was any more incidents like that!"

"I understand your confusion, Miss Kagari," said Professor Holbrooke calmly. "I am not going to lie – the Magic Council is not as attentive as they should be. The truth is, they suspected that you might have purposely attacked a human because they detected magic in the vicinity of your home. They failed to realized that there were five magic users on the premises at the time – You, Akatsuki, Miss Takamachi, Miss Testarossa, and Miss Yagami. Had any one of them use magic to attack a Human in your home, the Magic Council would have likely blamed you for it as well."

"So you're saying I got in trouble because the Magic Council doesn't pay attention?" said Akko, scoffing.

"I'm afraid that is what happened," said Professor Holbrooke. "The Magic Council did want to reprimand you this time, certainly, but I managed to appeal to them that it was an unintended accident. Of course, they once again wish for you to refrain from using magic for the duration of your holiday."

So it was pretty much the same situation as last year. Akko felt relief wash over her; if this was the worst punishment she was going to get, then she was fine with not using magic for another two weeks. But there was still something that struck Akko odd.

"Professor," she said, "how did you know that I was going to come here?"

"Honestly," said Professor Holbrooke, smiling, "I didn't."

"Then how did you know - ?"

"Granny, are you in here!" a voice called inside as the door opened. "I found some fresh cabbage in the market! We can make some Kaalikääryleet tonight – Akko?"

"Lotte?"

Akko rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't imagining it, but Lotte was really standing there at the door. She hadn't grown any taller since they saw each other last nearly two months ago, but she did have a few more noticeable freckles on her cheeks and a new pair of glasses that made her eyes seem bigger than they really were.

"Akko, what're you doing here?" Lotte asked worried. "You didn't get into any trouble again, did you?"

"No more than usual," said Professor Holbrooke amusingly. "As it just so happens, Miss Kagari will be staying with us for the duration of the holidays. I hope you don't mind if she shares a room with you, dear. Our humble abode doesn't have a lot of rooms to spare."

"I don't get what's going on," hummed Lotte. "But if you say so, it's fine, granny."

"Lotte…why do you keep calling the headmistress 'granny'?" Akko said slowly.

"Oh, that's because she's my grandmother, silly," said Lotte, smiling side by side with Holbrooke. "From my mother's side, anyway."

"EEEEEEH!" Akko shrieked, her eyes bulging. "Professor Holbrooke is your grandma? How come you never said anything?"

"I didn't want to receive special treatment because I'm the headmistress's granddaughter," Lotte mumbled, rubbing her arm shyly.

"Lotte has always been a modest, if not soft-spoken, child," said Holbrooke with a hint of pride in her voice. "Such a hard worker, just like her mother…. Anyway, Lotte, be a dear and show Miss Kagari to where she will be staying. I'm sure she's very tired after her long journey. Oh, and Miss Kagari, if you are going to be staying here, I just have one thing to ask of you: don't go anywhere past the market street, all right? Stay where you can run back to the shop if need to. And you'll be back here before dark each night. I'm sure you'll understand. Anna will be watching you whenever I'm not around."

"Okay," said Akko slowly, "but why – "

"The Space Patrol told me you had a close encounter with someone dangerous," said Holbrooke, turning serious. "It's for your own safety, that's all."

"You mean Izetta?" Akko asked. "Have they found her yet?"

"Wait, you ran into Izetta?" Lotte gasped.

"The Custody Enforcement Unit is searching the entirety of Shibuya," said Professor Holbrooke, frowning, "but we are nowhere close to finding her yet That is why I want you to stay close, for your own safety. You should understand your own luck by now, Miss Kagari."

"Yeah, if anything bad can happen, it will with me," Akko groaned.

Holbrooke cleared her throat and summoned her hat with a wave of her hand.

"Well, I must be off. No doubt Crawford Seam has flooded my office with letters asking for advice. Good day to you both.

She opened the door with a wave and was stepping out when Akko had a sudden idea.

"Er – Professor? Can I ask you something?"

"Certainly?" said Professor Holbrooke with a smile.

"Well, third years at Luna Nova are allowed to visit Blytonbury on weekends, right? But my mom and dad forgot to sign my permission form. Do you think you could - ?"

Holbrooke shook her head in disappointment.

"Ah," she said. "No, no, I'm very sorry, Miss Kagari, but as I'm not your parent or guardian – "

"But granny, you're the headmistress," said Lotte hopefully. "If you can give Akko permission – "

"No, I'm sorry, dear, but rules are rules," said Professor Holbrooke flatly. "Perhaps you'll be able to visit Blytonbury next year. Believe me when I say this, but it's for the best…yes…well, I'll be off. Enjoy your stay, Miss Kagari."

And with a last smile, Holbrooke left the room.

"I'm sorry, Akko," said Lotte apologetically, "but when granny makes a decision, it's hard to change her mind."

"It's okay, it's not your fault," said Akko, though her eyes seemed to linger sadly on the floor.

"…Hey, you wanna come see my room?" said Lotte, hoping to distract her best friend. "It's nothing fancy like Amanda's house or the dorms, but I think it's okay."

Akko followed Lotte up another flight of stairs to a simple wooden door with a cardboard signed at said "Lotte's Room" and opened it."

Inside was a pair of bunkbeds on one side of the room, a little television in the corner, two whole bookshelves filled with the complete collection of _Night Fall_ books, and a tidy little desk where Annabelle Crème's newest book, _Little Witch Academia_ , had been bookmarked. And lying flat on the bottom bunk –

"AAH!" Lotte squealed, covering her eyes with her face steaming-red.

"Blair!" Akko gasped. "How did you get here? And put some clothes on! You're embarrassing Lotte!"

The Cat-Witch, naked as the day she was born, made a grumbling noise and snapped her fingers with a chant of " _Pum-Pum-Pumpkin!_ ". A cloud of purple smoke momentarily covered her and a moment later she stood up, perfectly clothed.

"I was staying with Ursula when granny Holbrooke said you blew up your aunt and ran away. I figured you were going to either come here or go to Amanda's, so I took a gamble and waited. So much for acting like a normal Human, huh?"

"Blair, I've had a really rough day – night – whatever," Akko groaned, falling face first on the bottom bunk. "Can we talk about this later?"

Blair shrugged her shoulders and sauntered off downstairs; Lotte stayed for a few minutes before she had to go down to the kitchens to make preparations for dinner. Akko lay on the bed for a long time, feeling the exhaustion of everything finally catch up with her. She weakly glanced up out the window into the rich-blue, partly cloudy sky outside as rays of sunshine hit the sill. Akko could hardly believe that she'd left Shibuya only a few hours ago, that she wasn't expelled, and that she was now facing two weeks in a foreign country with her best friend.

"This has been the fourth weirdest night of my life," she yawned.

She rolled over to her side, making herself comfortable onto the pillow, closed her eyes, and allowed sleep to take over.

* * *

 **Despite a close encounter with a highly dangerous criminal, Akko successfully makes it to Finland and to her best friend. This chapter is once again more world-building that anything really critical towards the plot, but there are two essentials that came out from this:**

 **One, A long time ago, back in book one, someone said something about aliens being in this series. Well, this chapter confirms that aliens do exist and they have their own form of government (TSAB) just like the Humans (World Nations) and the Demi-Humans (Magic Council). But unlike the Humans and Demi-Humans, the inclusion of aliens are only a recent thing that has happened in the last decade, so there's not a whole lot of them around. As the years go on and stronger relations are built, it possible for aliens to coexist on Earth as well.**

 **Two, Lotte is confirmed to be Miranda Holbrooke's maternal granddaughter. Probably doesn't mean much right now considering the differences between them, but I think the concept of family will play an important role in Lotte's personal story.**

 **Next Chapter: Holidays in Finland**


	4. Holidays in Finland

**Akko Kagari and the White Witch**

 **Chapter Four: Holidays in Finland**

It took Akko several days to get used to her strange new living environment. Her mother was usually strict with wake-up time and even Alphonse at the O'Neill's residence would make sure they were awake by seven, so it was an odd feeling for Akko when she slept in until noon. She was allowed to go anywhere in town, as long as it didn't go past the market street, and as this long, cobbled street was packed with stalls containing the most fascinating items from around the world, Akko felt no desire to break her word to Holbrooke and stray off course.

Lotte made lunch for them each day usually consisting of open sandwiches with cold cuts and hard cheese before she went down to help Anna, who worked part time at the L Kiosk. Akko liked to stand behind the counter with her and watch the kinds of people that came in to shop: funny little men Akko had mistakenly thought to be dwarves, coming up to buy camping gear; venerable-looking elders arguing over the latest issue of _Forum Magazine_ ; wild-looking hunters; reindeer herders; and once, the local Yeti came down from the mountain to purchase wool for knitting mittens.

After Lotte was relived of her duties, they would walk down the block and turn a left at the end of the road onto the market street.

Akko and Lotte spent the long sunny days exploring the stalls and eating under the brightly colored umbrellas outside local cafes, where their fellow diners would show one another their purchases or else discussing the case of Izetta. Akko finished her homework with Lotte's help much faster than she would have on her own, no longer having to do it in the dead of night under the blanket by flashlight. In less than a couple of days, Akko was able to finish all her essays, who happened to know a lot about the Nine Olde Witches thanks to Professor Holbrooke teaching her personally.

Sadly, despite the market street having vendors from all over the world, there was hardly anything around that had to do with magic. According to Lotte, very few Demi-humans ever rarely come to Finland, making it a somewhat remote depot to the magical world. The few magical items that did happen to wander in their neck of the woods was hardly worth buying, like a set of golden marbles that squirted nasty-smelling liquid into a person's face ("Why would anyone bother making something like that?" said Akko. "And who even plays with marbles anymore?") or a moving model of the galaxy in a large class ball, with which the merchant claimed she would never have to take another astronomy class again ("That's one of the only classes I'm doing well in. And I'd never get to see Professor Ursula. No thanks!). But then, something came along that tested Akko's self-control a week after she had arrived in Espoo.

She and Lotte had been walking down the market street after purchasing a sweet bread called pulla when someone called out to her.

"Excuse me there, young girl, come over here!"

Akko paused in mid-step and turned in that direction. It looked like an Arabian-themed stall with a lot of carpets draped over the back and the person sitting at the small makeshift counter – a woman who had concealed her face behind a roll of cloth – was staring at her with bright red eyes. Akko looked around for a moment to see if the woman was talking about someone else, but didn't see anyone other than Lotte and herself. Akko hesitantly pointed at herself as if asking a silent question.

"Yes, you, come over!" said the woman, who strangely spoke in an English accent, motioned to her. "I have something I think you might be interested in."

"If you're trying to sell us a flying carpet," said Akko, looking unimpressed, "we'll tell you the same thing we told the last guy."

"No, no, no, no," the woman chuckled, waving her hands. "I have something even better. Have you ever heard of Shiny Chariot - ?"

"Have I heard of Shiny Chariot?" Akko squealed, pacing up to the woman's face and making her fall back. "How could I not? She's the greatest witch of all time! Her magic is so amazing and heart moving! She's one of the greatest fliers in generation and she's the only person who ever fought Ara – I mean, the Eclipse Queen and won! I've loved Shiny Chariot ever since I was a little girl! In fact, I even have her Shiny – "

"Akko," Lotte hissed softly in Akko's ear. "You can't just go telling people about the Shiny Rod! Most powerful magical item in the world, remember?"

"Oh, that's right," said Akko, as if just now realizing it.

"Well, it certainly sounds like you're a fan," the woman chuckled, readjusting the cloth around her face. "In that case, I have something you might in interested in…."

The masked woman reached underneath the counter and pulled something out that made Akko gasp out loud. It was a broom, sleek and smooth to perfection, a white metallic base with golden trimmings, ending with three besoms rather than one. In Akko's eyes, it was the most beautiful broom in the world.

"This is something that I have uh…recently acquired," said the woman after a small pause. "This is – "

"THE SHINY BALAI!" Akko screamed with so much excitement that nearly everyone turned around. She grabbed Lotte by the shoulders and started shaking her relentlessly. "LOTTE! LOTTE! LOOK! IT'S THE SHINY BALAI!"

"T-t-that's n-n-nice, A-A-Akko-o-o!" said Lotte, struggling. She reached up and ripped Akko's hands off her shoulder, sighing in relief. "Please don't ever do that again, Akko."

"I can't help it, Lotte!" Akko squeed, grinning from ear to ear. "I can't believe the Shiny Balai ended up in a plain old market place like this! This is the best thing that's ever happened!"

"I know I don't understand a whole lot about Shiny Chariot like you do," said Lotte, rubbing her next anxiously, "but what's so special about this broom?"

"The Shiny Balai isn't just any broom – it's Shiny Chariot's broom!" said Akko seriously, sounding like a teaching giving a lecture. "It's a special, one-of-a-kind broom that only Shiny Chariot could master. Rumor has it that Shiny Chariot had the Shiny Balai personally created to be the ultimate broom. The shaft was formed from a rare alloy that doesn't even exist on this world, treated with a diamond-hard polish so that it's impossible to scratch, and each individually selected fiber in the besoms has been honed to aerodynamic perfection, giving the Shiny Balai unsurpassable balance and pinpoint precision. It has an acceleration of one hundred and fifty miles an hour and the rumors say that it can instantly teleport you anywhere in the world just by thinking of the place."

"Very impressive," said the woman while clapping her hands. "You certainly know your stuff."

"I've just got to have it!" yelled Akko excitedly. "Just imagine! Me, riding the same broom as Shiny Chariot!"

"But what about Shooting Star?" said Lotte.

That gave Akko pause. She had been gushing over the broom that had belong to her idol that she forgot to take Shooting Star's feelings into account.

The Shooting Star was a sentient broom that had a reputation for being a bit of a rogue, having never allowed anyone to ride it since its owner died in the 1800s. But then, during Akko's first flying lesson in her first year, she had hung on to the bucking broom for dear life and earned its respect, proud to have her become it rider. Ever since then, she and Shooting Star have soared through Luna Nova as the greatest flying team in a century. As much as she wanted to have Shiny Chariot's broom, Shooting Star was her number one partner, and she would never cheat on it.

That's when Professor Holbrooke strolled up to them.

"Hello, girls," she said with a placid smile. "Are you girls having a good time?"

"Oh yes, granny," said Lotte. "Akko was just looking at the – "

But when they looked back around, the mysterious woman and the Shiny Balai were missing. It was a few seconds later that a new man came through the back of the stall, taken aback to see three women standing around his modest store; he must not get a lot of customers.

"Oh, hello, how can I help you?" he asked politely.

"What happened to the woman that was just here?" asked Akko. "She was trying to sell me something."

"Woman?" said the man, who looked confused. "I'm sorry, but no one else works here but me. But if you like, I could give you a good deal on a handsome rug."

They didn't buy the rug.

* * *

As the days slipped by, the date of their return to Luna Nova was only three days away, which meant that it was time to go shopping for their school supplies. And, unfortunately, it also meant another tripwith a Teleportation Spell.

Akko remembered with horribly vivid detail during her stay with the O'Neills when she was forced to use the transport magic to travel between America and England. The first time she had been so nervous that she had screwed up the spell so bad and accidentally wound up in a shady part of town called Silent Hill. And, if she remembered correctly, it was the cause of all their problems last year. Thankfully this time, Akko was more prepared and cast the spell without difficulty, traveling through the unknowable vortex between crystal ball waypoints, and wound up safely at the entrance to Westfield London next to Lotte.

The first place they went was the magical pharmacy to replenish their stores of potions ingredients, and also half expected to see Sucy sniffing the chemical fumes, but had no such luck. And as Akko's tunic was now several inches too short, they visited the Aikatsu Dress-Maker store and bought new ones; Lotte seemed a little dejected by the fact that she hadn't grown enough to warrant new clothes. Most important of all, they had to buy their new schoolbooks, which include those for Akko's two new subjects, Study of Abnormal Creatures and Foretelling.

They got a surprise when they arrived at Spellbinders and saw a long line forming from the counter inside the bookshop that stretched all the way to the food court. Peering through the crowd, Akko thought she saw Annabel Crème standing near the door, but when they were close enough to say anything, they realized that it was just a cardboard standee. It was an advertisement for Annabel Crème's new book, _Little Witch Academia,_ saying that the new book was being released today. Now it made sense why there was such a huge crowd – all of these people must have been fans of _Night Fall_ , all eager to see what direction their favorite author was taking with a new series.

Akko pulled her booklist out of her pocket and consulted if for the first time. A couple of early issues of _Night Fall_ were required along with Annabel's new book for their second elective course in Magical Literature. She could always borrow the _Night Fall_ books from Lotte and Annabel already sent them the new book, which was especially helpful; she hated to imagine having to stand in this huge line just to get what she needed for school.

As Akko and Lotte cut through the crowd and entered the shop, the manager came hurrying toward them in a huff.

"No cutting in line!" he shouted abruptly. "I've already told sixteen people today that if you want a copy of Annabel Crème's new book, you have to wait like everyone else!"

"But we're not – " said Lotte.

"No, no, I don't want to hear it!" said the manager impatiently, grabbing Akko and Lotte by their napes and lifting them towards the door. "I don't care how big of a fan you are, there will be no line cutting in my store – "

"Hey, jerkface!" Akko snapped, flailing her fist. "We already got our copies! We just want our stuff for school!"

"Oh, is that right?" He set them back on the ground, looking apologetic. "I am terrible sorry about that, miss. Business has been rather hectic as of late; customers growing impatient and trying to cut in line, starting fights, and causing all kinds of commotion. I've already had to call security six times today. It's always the same when a popular author releases a new volume. We never had this kind of trouble when Rowlings released a book, but then again…. Well, never mind, it's nothing…is there anything I can help you with, ladies?"

"Yes," said Akko, looking down her booklist, "I need _Finding the Future_ by Ava Dandelion and _The Comprehensive Guide to Cryptid Care_ by Drew Saturday."

"I also need _The Comprehensive Guide to Cryptid Care_ and _The Language of Lost Magic_ by Giovanni Zatara," said Lotte.

"Ah, Foretelling, Abnormal Creatures, and Magic Linguistics, eh?" said the manager, leading Akko and Lotte into the back of the shop where there was a corner devoted to fortune-telling. A small table was stacked with volumes such as _Predicting the Unpredictable: Insulate Yourself Against Shocks_ and _Broken Balls: When Fortunes Turn Foul_.

"I really wish you were taking Foretelling with me, Lotte," said Akko disappointed. "Professor Ursula is the best teacher. I know you would like it."

"Probably," said Lotte after some thought. "But I think Magic Linguistics would be better if I want to become an author."

"You wanna be an author?" Akko gasped excitedly. "That's so cool. When'd you decide that."

"It was around the end of last year," said Lotte, smiling. "Professor Crème chose me to be the next Annabelle even though I don't really want to be. That must mean she thought I had what it takes to be a writer. So I thought it'd give it a try. Professor Crème recommended it to me, said she was even teaching the class along with Magical Literature."

"You're gonna ace that class for sure," said Akko, giving her a thumbs-up.

"Here you are, miss," said the manager, who had climbed a set of steps to take down a thick, black-bound book. " _Finding the Future_. Very good guide to all your basic fortune-telling methods – palmistry, crystal balls, bird entrails – you get the idea. Now, the comprehensive guide should be just over here – "

They turned to follow the manager when Lotte accidentally bumped into someone. She hit the floor hard on her butt as a copy of _Little Witch Academia_ fell next to her. Lotte winced and rubbed her backside; Akko stepped closer to help her up when someone else beat her to the punch.

The person Lotte had bumped into suddenly dropped to one knee and offered his hand, taking Lotte aback as if she had never seen such chivalry before. The hand belonged to an dashingly handsome young man with blonde hair that had been perfectly groomed into place and offered a cheery smile to the bespectacled girl. It seemed a little strange that he was wearing a crisp tuxedo suit to a mall, but she didn't say anything as Lotte took his hand and the handsome young man pulled her up to her feet; he was at least a head taller than Akko.

"I am so terribly sorry about that, ma'am," said the man apologetically, even brushing off some dust that had gotten onto Lotte's shoulder. "I was just enamored by this new book that I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I hope you can forgive me."

"Oh, It all right," said Lotte. She reached down and picked up the copy of _Little Witch Academia_ before handing it off to the man. "Is this yours? Are you a fan of Annabel Crème?"

"Well, to be honest, I've heard of her before," said the man, rubbing the back of his neck as he took the book, "but I was never really interested in her _Night Fall_ books. But then I heard from a friend who's a fan of those books and they told me Miss Annabel was writing a new series about a school for witches. You see, I've always been fascinated by magic, though I'm just a normal Human myself. I've only just bought myself a copy and was immediately captivated by the first chapter. The young protagonist who wants to go to a school for witches because of her idol, but has no magical talent herself. It's very compelling and somewhat relatable."

"Isn't it?" said Lotte cheerfully. "It's completely different from what Annabel normally writes, but I think this series will be just as great as _Night Fall_."

"Well, we'll see, won't we," said the man, smiling at Lotte. He offered his hand to her. "I'm Frank, by the way."

"Lotte Jansson," said Lotte, shaking his hand.

"Well, Miss Jansson, it was really lovely meeting you," said Frank as he checked his watch. "Unfortunately, I have to meet up with my friend and his…somewhat friends in ten minutes. Hopefully we'll see each other again. Maybe we could have an in-depth discussion about the book."

"That would be nice," said Lotte. "Good bye, Frank."

Frank gave a sheepish sort of smile as he waved at Lotte, who waved back. Once he was out of the store, she turned back around and saw Akko standing nearby, grinning from ear to ear.

"What?" asked Lotte, confused.

"Way to go, Lotte," Akko chuckled, nudging Lotte with her elbow suggestively. "I never knew you had it in you."

"Uh…what?" said Lotte.

"That Frank guy was totally hitting on you," said Akko, still grinning.

"You're imagining things again, Akko," said Lotte, shaking her head in disbelief. "He wasn't hitting on me – well, he did run into me and he was polite to help me up, but he wasn't hitting on me. All we did was talk about books."

"I know what I saw," said Akko, giggling.

The manager came back from wherever he went off to carrying a small stack of books.

"Ah, I was wondering where you two had wandered off," he said, dumping the books in their hands. "There you go. Two copies of _Cryptid Care_ and one copy of _The Language of Lost Magic_. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Yes," said Lotte, pushing Akko out of the way and consulting her booklist. "Er – we need two copies of _An Intermediate Guide to Alchemy_ and two copies of _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Three._ "

Akko and Lotte emerged from Spellbinders ten minutes later with their new books under their arms and made their way around the mall. They didn't feel like taking the crystal ball back to Finland just yet, so they decided to walk around, browsing the shops for anything that might catch their eye. Along the way they started seeing plenty of Luna Nova students arriving now. Akko met the twin sisters Rashmi and Rajani, her Polaris seniors and members of the Chariot Racing team, in Bancock's Quality Brooms, eyeing the latest brooms and comparing their old ones in terms of speed and maneuverability. They also ran into Claire "Lightning" Farron, the captain of the Lunar Chariot Racing Team. They didn't stop to chat; she appeared to be yelling at a man twice her size who was holding hands with a girl that looked as if she could be Lightning's sister. At a little café near the food court, they spotted seventh year Polaris Amelia O'Neill on what looked to be a date with fifth year Corona student and Head of the Luna Nova News Network, Wangari.

And if Amelia was around, that must have meant –

"Akko! Lotte! Over here!"

There they were, all of them, sitting outside Ansem's Sea Salt Ice Cream Shop. Amanda O'neill looking tall and gangly with windswept hair, Jasminka plump and smiling, Constanze short and silent, Sucy as morbid-looking as ever, and Hannah and Barbara looking no different than before, which was to say very well groomed and poised. And sitting at the last table, elegantly eating ice cream as humanly possible, was the radiant blonde beauty of Diana Cavendish; the very sight of her make Akko feel light as a feather…. And sitting directly to her right, looking bored and uncaring as usually, was the admittedly handsome form of Andrew Hanbridge.

"Oh, you're here," said Akko monotonously to Andrew. "Set any ninjas on innocent girls lately?"

"I don't know," said Andrew nonchalantly. "Have you released any deadly viruses lately."

Akko cursed; he always had to have the last word.

It wasn't that Akko and Andrew disliked each other; quite the contrary, they shared a somewhat limited amount of respect for one another. It was last year that Andrew tried to save Akko from being manipulated by his father, the Earl of Hanbridge, into becoming a political tool in his campaign for Prime Minister. From what Akko heard overseas, it sounded like Lord Hanbridge didn't win the election in the end. But not only did Andrew send Marianna, his personal maid and second year student at Luna Nova, to attack stop her from getting to school last year, but he was also engaged to Diana. It was a political marriage meant to unite the Human and Demi-Human communities' due to their family names, and Akko totally understood why they had to do it, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

"Okay, you two, knock it off," said Diana calmly as Akko and Lotte sat down and smiled at Akko politely. "It's good to see you again, Akko. I hope you had a good summer."

"Y-Yeah, something like that," Akko stuttered.

"That's not what my mom told me," said Amanda, leaning against her hand with a wide grin.

Amanda's mother, Ava O'Neill, was the fourth seat on the Magic Council, would of course have heard the whole story of what happened to Aunt Kirai.

"Did you _really_ turn your aunt into a hippo, Akko?" said Amanda in a humorous tone.

"I didn't mean to," said Akko, while Amanda and Sucy roared with laughter. "I just – lost control.

"It's not funny, O'Neill," said Diana sharply. "Honestly, I'm amazed Akko wasn't expelled."

"Forget about getting expelled," said Andrew. "It's a miracle that she wasn't arrested. Doesn't the Magic Council have an International Law about this sort of thing. I certainly remember my father saying something about it being necessary some years ago when Demi-Humans started coming out of hiding."

"Does your mom know why the Magic Council let me off?" Akko asked Amanda.

"Probably because Holbrooke was the one that defended you," shrugged Amanda, still chuckling. "She likes you, probably because you're the famous Star-Born Child - "

"Shh! Don't say that out loud!" Lotte hissed, looking around frantically for eavesdroppers.

"Whatever," said Amanda nonchalantly. "I'd hate to see what the Magic Council would do to _me_ if I turned an aunt into an animal. Of course, they'd need a necromancer first, because mom would've killed me. Anyway, heard you were stay with Lotte over the holidays. So, what's it like in the Land of a Thousand Lakes."

"Haven't really gotten to see much past the market street," Akko admitted. "But it's pretty nice enough."

"Since we're all together, does that mean everyone got their shopping done?" asked Lotte.

"We picked up our supplies and books all right," said Sucy, pointing to the large bags underneath their chairs. "Took longer to get Professor Crème's new book. Had to wait in line for an hour just to get a copy. But it wasn't a complete waste of time – I invented a new poison that turned people purple with green boils."

"Ugh, why do we have to hang out with the creepy girl?" Barbara asked Hannah, not bother to keep her voice down.

"Because Diana's friends with them for some reason," Hannah returned. "And if they're Diana's friends, I guess they're our friends. So nothing better to do than suck it up."

"Hmm? I thought Barbara didn't like Diana," said Jasminka; Constanze nodded in agreement.

"Speak of which, what's all that, Diana?" Akko asked, pointing to not one but three bulging bags in the chair next to her.

"Well, I will be taking more new subjects this year," said Diana. "Those are my books for Magic Numerology, Study of Abnormal Creatures, Foretelling, Magical Law, Magic Philosophy, Modern Magic – "

"Are you planning to eat or sleep at all this year, Diana," asked Akko, while Andrew chuckled behind his hand.

"Don't go comparing Diana to you, Akko!" shouted Hannah, slamming her hands flat on the table. "Even if you have that stupid Shiny Rod and just because you're some prophesied messiah or something, Diana is still leagues ahead of you."

"I don't really care about Diana or anything," said Barbara, nodding her head solemnly, "but Hannah's right. We've known Diana our whole lives. She's been casting spells since she was two, and you can't even perform a simple metamorphosis spell on purpose. It's so pathetic, I think I'm gonna tear up."

"Why you – " Akko growled. She leaned in closer, but Lotte held her back.

"Hannah, Barbara," said Diana firmly. " _Sybilladura Lelladybura_."

"Yes, Diana," Hannah mumbled, lowering her head like a punished child.

"Whatever," Barbara scoffed.

"Whoa, did you just cast a spell on them," said Amanda, blinking impressively. "Think you could teach me?"

"It's not a spell, it's the Cavendish Family's motto, passed down for generations since Beatrix the Affectionate," said Diana. "When traditional and modern powers mingle, the gate to an unseen world will open"

"Uh…. Okay, I give up," said Amanda. "What the hell does that even mean?"

"There is no one meaning to it," said Diana. "But I suppose if I was to dumb it down to your level" – Now it was Amanda's turn to be held back – "I suppose it would mean…learn from the past, live in the present, and grow towards the future. In other words, Hannah, Barbara, don't hold the mistakes of Akko's past over her. She can still grow to be a very capable witch…no matter how unlikely that may seem."

"I can't tell if you're complimenting or insulting me," said Akko blankly.

"Well, it's about time for me to go," said Andrew suddenly as he checked his watch. "I have to be meeting a friend soon. He's probably looking for me."

"We should be going as well," said Diana, standing up. "We'll see you all on the Mystic Rail. Come along, Hannah, Barbara."

One by one, the four of them got up from their seats and walked away, Andrew heading deeper into the mall while Diana and her groupies headed towards the entrance where the crystal ball was.

"I still have a little while before I'm supposed to meet my mom and little sisters," said Sucy, looking up at the hanging clock overhead. "Anyone got something they want to do?"

"Ooh, I know," said Lotte, checking her bag. "It's my birthday in September, and Granny gave me some money to get myself an early birthday present."

"But you already have every _Night Fall_ book ever made," said Akko. "And Annabel already sent you an autographed copy of the new one. What else could you want?"

"How about a nice cake?" Jasminka suggested.

"Actually, Granny gave me a nice suggestion," said Lotte cheerfully. "She said now that I'm turning thirteen, I'm old enough to have a familiar like Diana's snake or Akko's cat – "

"Blair is more of a personal guardian than a familiar," said Akko, "but I think getting a familiar would be awesome for you, Lotte. Do you have anything in mind?"

"Well, I was thinking about getting a dog, but Blair probably wouldn't like sharing a dorm with it," said Lotte, humming in though. "I don't want to get a rat or a bird because, well, Blair's a cat, too. Hmm, maybe a ferret – oh, or maybe one of those Chibi creatures I've been hearing so much about. They're very popular in Asia."

"Hey, Constanze, why don't you give Lotte one of your Stan-Bots for a pet?" said Amanda playfully.

Constanze didn't seem to like that idea; she puffed up her cheeks and pouted, which actually looked really cute.

"There's a shop that sells familiars over there," said Sucy, gesturing over her shoulder. "You could see if they have anything you like in there. I'll just be waiting out here…away from the snake cages."

It was common knowledge by now that Sucy was deathly afraid of snakes, which was quite ironic given her fondness for poisons and venoms.

So they left Sucy at the table and crossed the mall to Blake's Menagerie.

There wasn't much room inside. Every inch of the walls was hidden by cages. It was smelly and noisy because the occupants of these cages were all squeaking, jabbering, or hissing. A cat-eared woman was managing the counter, speaking two people that Akko recognized. The first one was Nanoha Takamachi, a childhood friend of Akko's and a third-year student at Luna Nova. Next to her was Fate Testarossa, a pretty Italian blonde girl, fourth-year student, and some would even say Nanoha's unofficial girlfriend.

"Nanoha? Fate? What're you doing here?" asked Lotte curiously.

"It's my familiar, Arf," said Fate, holding up a red-furred puppy in her arms. "We went to a trip to Egypt recently and she's been feeling a little sick lately. I forgot she doesn't like traveling much."

"I'll be with you girls in a minute," said the cat-eared woman. "Please have a look around the shop while you wait."

And so that's what they did.

A murky-looking toad was wearing a blindfold in its aquarium; the sign said "Do Not Remove Blindfold from Hypno Toad – Very Dangerous." Amanda was eyeing a gigantic tortoise with a jewel-encrusted shell near the window with a scheming smirk. Jasminka was watching a pair of poisonous orange snails oozing slowly up the side of their glass tank, drooling hungrily. And Constanze was giving an incriminating stare at a raccoon that was placing a leaf on its head and constantly changing shapes. There were cats of every color, a noisy cage with a crow and a raven bickering at each other, a basket of funny custard-colored furballs that were humming loudly, and in the back of the shop was an entire section dedicated to Chibis, humanoid creatures with tiny bodies and exaggeratedly large heads.

Akko was looking at the Mini-Squid Girl when Nanoha and Fate started to leave.

"Bye, Akko-chan, see you at school!" Nanoha waved her good bye.

"Welcome to Blake's Menagerie," said the cat-eared woman as Lotte approached the counter. "Can I help you find anything."

"Um, yeah, I was hoping to find a familiar," said Lotte.

"Oh, you're a witch, are you?" said the cat-eared woman, smiling. She bended underneath the counter and retrieved a pen and notepad. "Not to worry, we'll find something for you. A familiar is a witch's greatest companion, almost a life partner. Sometimes a witch chooses the familiar, other times the familiar chooses the witch. The best way to look for one is find something that matches your personality. How could you describe yourself."

"Uh…hmm…that's a tough question…," Lotte hummed.

"She's a real bookworm," said Akko, throwing herself into the conversation. "She's a little quiet and very timid, but she's super smart and really nice."

"Akko! You can't just barge in on people like that!" Lotte complained.

"So a quiet, intellectual type – I know what that's like," said the cat-eared woman, jotting down some notes. "How do you feel about cats?"

"My friend already has one," said Lotte, gesturing towards Akko. "I was hoping for something a little different."

"Understandable," the cat-earred woman nodded. "If you want to look for an intelligent creature, there are some owls in the back, although they fell out of popularity after Rowling's published her books – I haven't been able to sell one in years. There are dogs, but that's probably not the best idea to have with a cat around. Maybe we could get you something with an outgoing personality to contrast with. We just got a new shipment of Chibis from Japan called Puchimas. There's this one Chibi called Haruka-san that – OUCH!"

The cat-eared woman buckled as something huge and red came soaring from the top of the highest cage, bounced off her head, and then landed gracefully on the counter while the manager fell down.

It was a handsome-looking fox the size of a large dog with bright-orange fur and a tuft of white fur on its chest and its poofy tail ended in a white tint. It's pointed face with turned towards Lotte and its beady golden eyes seemed to examining her, tilting its head curiously. It leaned forward and presented the top of its head to the bespectacled girl. Lotte looked uncertainly at Akko for a moment, who could do nothing more than shrug her shoulder, but cautiously stepped closer to the fox and reached out to it with a tentative hand. When her palm met with the top of the fox's head, she paused for a long moment, waiting to see if it would bite, and when it didn't, she started petting it. The fox made a small, relaxed noise and nuzzled its face into her hand serenely.

That's when the cat-eared managed pulled herself up off the floor.

"Ugh, for the love of – " she groaned. "That felt like I was being run over by a truck, or being punched in the face by a giant robot."

"Excuse me," said Lotte as she continued to pet the fox. "What can you tell me about this one?"

"I actually don't know a whole lot about that one," the cat-eared woman admitted, frowning as she crossed her arms. "I've never been known to stock foxes in the store – they always cause trouble for my birds and rodents. But this one just showed up this morning, waiting in front of the store before I opened. I was hesitant at first to let it inside, but he seems remarkably intelligent. He not only picked the lock off his cage, but he never even bothered the other pets once. He's just been sitting on top of the cages like a statue that I've forgotten about him."

"I think he likes you, Lotte," said Akko, cheerfully scratching the fox under its chin. "You should get it."

"Do you think I can?" Lotte asked the manager hopefully.

"Well, I haven't officially registered it," the cat-eared woman hummed. "But I did say that a familiar chooses its witch, and it really seems to have taken to you. I guess we can go ahead and get it registered real quick. It's gonna cost you forty pounds, not including tags, collars, and other accessories. And I'll also need a name."

"A name…," said Lotte thoughtfully. "How about…Mikko."

Ten minutes later, Akko, Lotte and Amanda's group were walking out of Blake's Menagerie with Mikko the Red Fox trotting beside them, flashing its new collar and tags. Lotte was struggling to carry the bag of new items she brought for familiar on impulse on top of her books, but she didn't seem to mind at all. She was smiling wider than Akko had ever seen before, humming a little song as she practically skipped along the way. They walked across the mall to where Sucy was still waiting for them at the ice cream shop, appearing to have brought herself another bowl, but she wasn't alone this time.

Professor Croix Meridies was sitting at the table next to her student, cape thrown over the back of her seat and sweeping her long lavender hair out of her face as she read a copy of the local newspaper.

"Professor Croix!" Akko shouted excitedly, running over to meet her. "It's been a long time!"

"Good to see you, too, Akko," said Croix, smiling as she looked up. "And the rest of you as well. How is everyone doing?"

"We're fine, thanks," said Jasminka as they all sat down and set their shopping aside.

"I'm glad I had the chance to run into you before school started, Constanze," said Croix, turning to the smallest among the group. "I talked the Headmistress the other day and she approved your request to build a personal workshop on school grounds. Though she can give you the space for it, you're gonna need to pay for all the supplies and equipment. Good thing you got that Grant money, huh?"

"Constanze is getting her own workshop?" asked Akko. "That's so cool! Way to go, Cons!"

"First a genius award and now her own private lab," said Amanda proudly, patting Constanze on the head. "Is there anything you can't do?"

Constanze bit her lip and lowered her head, but Akko could tell she was trying to hide the blush that was spreading across her cheeks.

Croix put down her paper, and Akko saw the now familiar picture of Izetta staring up at him, making her shuddered at the vivid reminder of their close encounter.

"They haven't caught her yet, have they?" she asked.

"No," said Croix, looking extremely grave. "They've been pulling out every available armed force trying to find her. The Strike Witches, the Fleet Girls, the Custody Enforcement Unit, the Frame Arms Girls, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. But she hasn't been spotted once…she was always the crafty one."

"There wouldn't be a reward for catching her, would there?" asked Amanda.

"Don't even think about it, O'Neill," said Croix, who on closer inspection looked very strained. "Izetta is one of the most cunning witches of the age. She was revered as a prodigy when she was a child, so it's very doubtful she's going to be caught by a bunch of thirteen-year-old witches. It's the Dol Gurdur guards who'll get her back, mark my words."

At that moment, Professor Ursula Callistis walked out of the shop, jabbing an ice cream bar into Croix's mouth to silence her. Ursula giggled lightly at Croix's perturbed face, readjusting her round glasses and throwing her long bundle of sapphire-blue hair over her shoulder as she rounded to the group.

"Hello, everyone," she said kindly. "I hope everyone is having a good holiday."

"The ones that haven't turned their relatives into fat hippos are doing just fine," said Sucy casually.

"Okay, I get it already!" Akko snapped irritably. "Can we please drop it?"

"Oh my," said Ursula, chuckling awkwardly. "Yes, we heard about that the other day. I was a little shocked that you would do such a thing, Akko, but then I remembered everything you've done in Luna Nova for the last two years and realized I shouldn't have been surprised."

"You do have a bit of a reputation around school," said Croix, popping the frozen treat out of her mouth. "You should have seen the look on Finnelan's face when the Headmistress told everyone the news. She looked she had swallowed an entire bag of warheads."

"Let me guess," said Akko with a blank expression, "she told Professor Holbrooke I should be expelled."

"At this point, she's given up on trying to get you expelled," Ursula admitted. "But she did make a suggestion for you to serve detention cleaning the bathrooms for the rest of the year, particularly the one on the fourth floor, where the goblins go…."

Akko shuddered at the mere thought of goblin toilets.

Mikko the Red Fox then suddenly reached up and put his front paws on the edge of the table, poking head over top. Ursula looked slightly taken by the vulpine's sudden appearance as Lotte started to pet her new familiar. It's beady golden eyes seemed to peer across the table at the blue-haired teacher, who was frowning suddenly.

"Hey, what's up with the fox?" said Croix, not noticing her partner's weary expression

"Oh, this is my new familiar," said Lotte happily. "His name is Mikko."

"So Lotte has a familiar now," said Ursula, who looked like she was making an effort to smile, but couldn't quite get there. "That's lovely."

"Is something wrong, Professor Ursula?" asked Akko curiously.

"Oh, it's nothing, Akko," said Ursula, shooting one last glance at the red fox who was staring back. "Nothing at all…."

* * *

Dinner at the Janssons on their final night before heading off to Luna Nova was a very enjoyable affair. Holbrooke invited Anna to stay over and together they made a delicious five course meal for them, Akko, Lotte, Blair, and gave whatever scraps they had left to Mikko. Akko had been worried that the red fox might try to attack Blair when he saw her in cat form, but Mikko was surprisingly docile and seemed to regard Blair as friendly. When they reached dessert, Anna served them a heaping pile of Hapansilakka pies. Lotte, Holbrooke, and Anna seemed to enjoy them a lot, but when Akko took a bite out of one, the urge to vomit suddenly crawled up her throat, but she swallowed it back down, leaving a horrible after taste in her mouth.

"Their place will be really quiet after tomorrow," said Professor Holbrooke, taking her second pie. "With the three of us heading off to school. I leave the store in your capable hands, Anna."

"Don't worry, ma'am, I haven't let you down yet," said Anna.

"We'll be taking the train from the Leppävaara railway station," Lotte told Akko. "It's a long walk from the store, but we should catch it if we leave early tomorrow."

"Oh, we won't be walking, dear," said Professor Holbrooke. "The Magic Council will be providing us transportation."

Everyone looked up at her.

"Why is the Magic Council giving us a ride, Granny?" said Lotte curiously. "They've never done that before."

"Well, I just thought that Miss Kagari wouldn't like to hike all the way to the station," said Professor Holbrooke. "It's nothing to overthink about – just a little favor Crawford Seam owes me – "

Her voice was light and casual, but Akko couldn't help noticing that Holbrooke's ears had gone red, just like Lotte's did when she was under pressure.

"Good thing, too," said Professor Holbrooke briskly. "Imagine having to carry all that luggage between you. A nice sight you'd be dragging your trunks through the streets with a cat and a fox nipping at your heels…. You are all packed, aren't you?"

"Akko-nyan hasn't packed all her new things in her trunk yet," said Blair with a wicked smirk. "She just dumped them on her bed."

"You'd better go and pack properly, Miss Kagari, because we won't have much time in the morning," said Professor Holbrooke from across the table. Akko scowled at Blair.

After dinner, everyone felt very full and sleepy. One by one they made their way upstairs to their rooms to check their things for the next day. Akko had just closed and locked her own trunk when Lotte came poking in their shared bedroom, peeking around the corner as if looking for something.

"What's up?" said Akko.

"Have you seen Mikko?" asked Lotte as she got on her knees and looked under the bunk beds. "I was going to give him a bath before we left tomorrow, but when I went to grab the special shampoo, he was had opened the door and disappeared."

"I'll help you look," said Akko. "I just finished packing."

While Lotte checked across the hall, Akko went down to the second floor. She was halfway along the passage to the kitchen, which was now very dark, when she heard a pair of angry voices coming from the dining room. A second later, she recognized them as Blair and Holbrooke. She hesitated, not wanting them to know she'd heard them arguing, when the sound of her own name made her stop, then move closer to the dining room door.

"…makes no sense not to tell her," Blair was saying heatedly. "Akko-nyan's got a right to know. I've tried to tell Ursula and Croix, but they insist on treating Akko-nyan like a child. She's thirteen years old and – "

"And only just beginning her next phase of maturity," said Holbrooke evenly. "Do you really think it would be best to send Miss Kagari back to school with something like that hanging over her shoulder? For heaven's sake, she's _happy_ not knowing!"

"I don't _want_ to make her miserable, I want to put her on her guard!" retorted Blair. "You know what Akko-nyan is like, wandering off on her own – she's ended up in the Arcturus Forest twice! But Akko-nyan can't do that this year! The Space Patrol even said she had an encounter with Izetta before they found her! When I think of what could have happened that night! If the Space Patrol hadn't picked her up, I'm prepared to bet she would have been dead before the Magic Council found her."

"But she's _not_ dead, she's fine, so there's no point – "

"Miranda, they say that Izetta is insane. I've known her since we were students and I never thought she was capable of any of the things she's done, which just goes to show that maybe I didn't know her that well at all. She was the prodigy of the group – always more brilliant than Chariot and Croix combined. No one has ever escaped Dol Guldur since Izetta because it was supposed to be impossible. It's been three weeks, and no one's seen hide nor hair of her, and I don't care what Crawford keeps telling the news, we're no closer to catching Izetta than inventing self-spelling wands. The only thing we know for sure is what Izetta's after – "

"Miss Kagari will be perfectly safe at Luna Nova."

"We thought Dol Guldur was perfectly safe. If Izetta can break out of Dol Guldur, she can break into Luna Nova."

"But why would she be after Miss Kagari in the first place? The only people that know who she is are you, Professor Croix, Professor Ursula, Athena, the Twelve Seats on the Magic Council, Miss Kagari's friends, and myself."

There was a thud on wood, and Akko was sure Blair had banged her fist on the table.

"Miranda, Izetta was a part of our group – she was there when Akko-nyan was born in the Grand Triskellion. I'm sure Crawford already told you what happened when he went out to Dol Guldur the night Izetta escaped. The guards told Crawford that Izetta's been talking in her sleep for a while now. Always the same words: 'Must get to Luna Nova…Must get to Luna nova.' We thought that Izetta was our friend, she was even there to support Chariot after the group fell apart and when she had given birth to Akko-nyan. But then a few days after that, she went and destroyed half of Zurich. In the end, it turns out she was as much of a traitor to our cause as Ruvik and Cinder Fall. She was too dangerous to be allowed free…so we asked the Magic Council to make up the lie that she was the Eclipse Queen's right hand. And now she's had thirteen years to plan out her revenge…."

Akko paused at the doorway. Did she hear them correctly? They _lied_ about Izetta's being a supporter of Aradia? But why would they do that? Blowing up half a major city was enough of a reason to send her to jail, so why would they need to make up the story about her support for the Eclipse Queen?

"Well, Blair, you must do what you think is right. If you think Miss Kagari deserves to know the truth, then I won't try to stop you. Heaven's knows she'll be facing a lot this year, especially with the Magic Council forcing Luna Nova to accept the Dol Guldur guards around the entrances this year."

"You don't sound too happy about it."

"I'm not very fond of those monsters," said Professor Holbrooke heavily. "If this were under normal circumstances, I would never let them anywhere near my school…but when you're dealing with a witch like Izetta, you sometimes have to join forces with those you'd rather avoid."

"And if they save Akko-nyan – "

" – then I will never say another word against them," said Professor Holbrooke wearily. "It's late, Blair, we'd better get to sleep as well…."

Akko heard chairs move. As quietly as she could, she hurried down the passage and out of sight. The dining room door opened, and a few seconds later footsteps told her that Blair and Holbrooke were climbing up the stairs. When she heard their footsteps die away, Mikko suddenly appeared through the crack in the doorway a few moments later, peering down the hallway to where Akko was hiding before he headed upstairs as well. _That was weird_ , Akko thought, _what was Mikko doing in there?_

Akko didn't spend too much time thinking about it; she went upstairs after the red fox to the room she shared with Lotte, who was looking greatly relieved as she picked her familiar up off the ground.

"Thank goodness," said Lotte, heaving a great sigh. "I was worried he got out somehow…. Are you okay, Akko? You look a little pale?"

Akko didn't say anything. She threw herself on the bed and rested her head on the pillow, listening for Lotte to leave the room with Mikko so she could be alone with her thoughts.

So Izetta was after her, not because she wanted revenge for Aradia, but because Chariot and her friends had lied and locked her up in Dol Guldur. Everything suddenly made sense. The real reason why the Magic Council had let her off with a warning was because they were relieved that the Star-Born Child was alive. Holbrooke had made Akko promise to stay close to the store where she could keep an eye on her. And the Magic Council was providing transport to take them all to the station tomorrow, so that Holbrooke and Lotte could look after Akko until she was on the train. And even more than that, she now understood how Izetta had found Akko all the way in Japan. If she had been around when she was born, then that meant she also knew that Chariot had left Akko with the Kagaris and had probably headed to their house the first chance she got. It was a good thing that Akko had left when she did….

Akko lay listening to the muffled shouting from the bathroom as Lotte struggled to give Mikko a bath and wondered why she didn't feel more scared. Izetta had murdered over a hundred people with one spell; Blair and Holbrooke obviously thought Akko would be panic-stricken if she knew the truth. But Akko didn't think there was any reason to be concerned as long as Holbrooke was headmistress at Luna Nova. Last she recalled, the only two people that Aradia had ever feared was Chariot and Holbrooke. That had to mean that they were more powerful than Izetta, right?

And then there were the Dol Guldur guards everyone kept talking about. They seemed to scare most people senseless, and if they were stationed all around the school, Izetta's chance of getting inside seemed very remote.

No, all in all, the thing that bother Akko most was the fact that her chances of visiting Blytonbury now looked like zero. Nobody would want Akko to leave the safely of the castle until Izetta was caught; in fact, Akko suspected her every move would be carefully watched until the danger had passed.

She scowled at the bottom of the bunk above. Did they think she couldn't look after herself? She had defeated Aradia before she was born, outsmarted Barbara in her first year, destroyed Eveline's virus last year, and she had collected two of the Stars of Arcturus. She wasn't completely useless….

"I'm _not_ going to die," Akko said out loud. "Not until I see Shiny Chariot."

* * *

 **So a little bit of context in this chapter as well as a new revelation revealed early in the story. Despite what the public has been lead to believe, Izetta is NOT a servant of Aradia, but rather a lie conceived by Shiny Chariot and her group as a means to keep her locked away in Dol Guldur. But then the real question is why they would need to make up the lie in the first place?**

 **Aradia has always been talked about a lot for the past two books as the main driving point for Akko's life and her mysterious archenemy, but has been carefully avoided from going into any details. This is the book that everyone has been waiting for: the true identity behind the unknown enemy known as the Eclipse Queen and the truth about Akko's secretive birth will soon be revealed! If anyone has already figured out the answer by now, then I will be thoroughly impressed.**

 **Next chapter: Heartless**


	5. Heartless

**Akko Kagari and the White Witch**

 **Chapter Five: Heartless**

Anna woke Akko the next morning with a smile and a cup of tea. Akko was lethargic as she was getting ready, having not gotten much sleep with her head cluttered with thoughts about what she overheard last night. She struggled to pull on a sweatshirt when Lotte came into the room, passed one look over Akko, and gave an exasperated sigh.

"You're still not ready yet?" she said as she helped Akko pull the sweatshirt on. "Granny and Blair have been up for an hour now. We need to be getting ready so we can catch the train on time…."

"Hey, Lotte, there's something I've got to tell you," Akko began, but they were interrupted by Blair, who had walked into the room naked as usual and Lotte ran out looking extremely embarrassed.

They headed down to breakfast, where Holbrooke was reading the front page of the local news with a furrowed brow, Anna was heading downstairs to open the shop, and Mikko the Red Fox was sitting on a chair properly with a plate of winter cherries in front of him.

"What were you saying?" Lotte asked Akko as they sat down.

"Later," Akko murmured as Blair walked in fully clothed.

Akko had no chance to speak to Lotte in the chaos of leaving; they were too busy heaving all their trunks down the L Kiosk's narrow staircase and piling them up near the door with Mikko perched on top. Professor Holbrooke, who had been outside waiting for the Magic Council's provided transportation, stuck her head inside.

"They're here," she said. "Come along, Miss Kagari."

Professor Holbrooke marched Akko across a short stretch of pavement toward an old-fashioned dark-green car, which was driven by a furtive-looking wizard and an awkwardly tall cyclops who needed to bend forward to fit inside the passenger's seat, both wearing suits of amethyst purple.

"In you get, Miss Kagari," said Professor Holbrooke, glancing up and down the crowded street.

Akko got into the back of the car and was shortly joined by Lotte, Holbrooke, and Blair while Mikko crawled in on the floor around their feet.

The journey to the Leppävaara railway station was very uneventful compared to Akko's trip with the Space Patrol. The Magic Council car seemed almost ordinary, though Akko noticed that it could slide through gaps that her father's car certainly couldn't have managed. They reached the Leppävaara railway station with twenty minutes to spare; the Magic Council drivers unloaded their trunks, touched their hats in salute to Professor Holbrooke, and drove away, somehow managing to jump to the head of an unmoving line at the traffic lights.

The station was incredibly small compared to Shibuya and Grand Central, but Professor Holbrooke kept close to Akko's elbow all the way inside. They climbed down the stairway, having to work in pairs to carry both Akko and Lotte's trunks until they were on the island platform and looked up to see the Mystic Rail, a purple bullet train dusted with stars and euphoric colors, the engine hissing and humming as the students stepped out onto the platform to stretch their legs.

Akko and Lotte scanned the crowded platform for any familiar faces when they heard someone calling them from halfway down the track.

"Oy! Akko! Lotte! C'mon, we saved you some seats!" Amanda shouted, waving her arm so as better to spot them. The usual group of Constanze and Jasminka were hanging around their self-appointed leader doing their own things; Sucy was off on the opposite end of the platform, talking to another student and seemingly comparing various bottles of suspicious-looking fluids. They didn't see Diana's group anywhere on the platform; Akko assumed they were still on the train.

Once they joined up with their friends, Akko and Lotte were let all the way to the end of the train, past packed railroad cars, to their regular seats in the very back that they've unofficially reserved since the first year. They loaded their trunks in the overhead compartments, dropped off Mikko with the rest of the familiars too big to ride with the passengers, then went back outside to say good-bye to Holbrooke. She kissed Lotte and offered a gentle pat on the back to Akko

"I'll see you all when you arrive at school," she said brightly as she straightened up. She then reached inside her coat and said, "I asked Anna to make you some sandwiches before we left…. Here you are, Lotte…no, they're not duck meat…. And for Miss Kagari, Blair told me that you just _loved_ Hapansilakka pies, so Anna got up early to make you a tub of them…."

"Gee…thanks," said Akko with an awkwardly smile; she was so going to get Blair back for this.

And speaking of the witch-cat, Blair subtly slid up to Akko's side while Holbrooke was finishing her good-byes with Lotte, bending down to whisper in her ear:

"Akko-nyan, come over here for a moment."

She jerked her head toward the shaded area behind the staircase, and Akko followed her to it, leaving the crowded area behind them.

"There's something I've got to tell you before we leave for school – " said Blair, in a tense voice.

"It's all right, Blair," said Akko. "I already know."

"You know? How could you know?"

"I – er- I heard you and Professor Holbrooke talking last night. I couldn't help hearing," Akko added quickly. "Sorry – "

"That's not the way I'd have chosen for you to find out," said Blair, looking anxious.

"No – honestly, it's okay. This way, you haven't broken your word to the Magic Council and I know what's going on."

"Akko-Nyan, I get that you might be scared – "

"I'm not," said Akko sincerely. "But I am confused. I also heard about the part where you and Chariot lied about Izetta being one of Aradia's followers. Why would you lie about something like that? Blowing up Zurich would have been enough to make her a criminal, but what was the point of adding on top of that."

"It's…not entirely false," said Blair, frowning and pointedly looking away. "Look, it's not something you need to worry about. Akko-nyan, I always say that you're made of stronger stuff than the Magic Council seemed to think. These past two years alone have proven that. But the thing is – "

"Blair!" called Professor Holbrooke, who was now shepherding Lotte and the others onto the train. "Blair, what are you doing? It's about to go!"

"We're coming, granny!" said Blair, but she turned back to Akko and kept talking in a lower and more hurried voice. "Listen, I'll be watching you closer than ever this year. I want you to give me your word – "

" – that I'll be a good girl and stay in the castle?" said Akko gloomily.

"Not entirely," said Blair, who looked more serious than Akko had ever seen her. "Akko-nyan, swear to me you won't go _looking_ for Izetta."

Akko stared. "What?"

There was a loud, bellowing horn. The students were running back inside the train before the doors started closing.

"Promise me, Akko-nyan," said Blair, talking more quickly still, "that whatever happens – "

"Why would I go looking for someone I know wants to kill me?" said Akko blankly.

"Have you see your track record?" Blair hissed, gripping Akko's arm painfully hard. "Swear to me that whatever you might hear – "

"Blair, quickly!" cried Professor Holbrooke.

The wheels started to scrap against the rails; the train was starting to move. Almost begrudgingly so, Blair let go of Akko and popping into her cat form in a cloud of smoke. Akko picked her up and ran to the train door as Jasminka forcefully pried it open and stood back to let them on. They leaned against the window and waved Professor Holbrooke until the train turned the corner and the background devolved into a swirl of colors as the train started to accelerate.

Akko let out a huge sigh as she leaned her head against the wall. She took a deep breath and turned around, nearly walking into Constanze, who, Akko only just now realized, had one of her miniature Stan-Bot standing on her head.

" _Why does Akko look sad?_ " said the Stan-Bot in a staticky voice. " _Isn't Akko happy to be going back to school?_ "

"Whoa, Stan-Bot just talked!" Akko shouted in amazement.

"Pretty cool, right?" said Amanda, grinning with her hands folded behind her head. "It's a new feature she just finished making yesterday. Now we don't have to keep translating sign language."

"But Constanze is right," said Jasminka, frowning at Akko. "Are you all right? Do you have a tummy ache?"

"Uh…it's um…," Akko said hesitantly, looking down at Blair for approval. The purple-furred cat rolled her eyes and tilted her head; her uncaring sign of approval. "Um…look, there's something I need to tell everyone. Can we go see Diana first? She'll get mad at me again if I keep secrets from her."

"Ooh, this oughta be good," said Sucy with a wicked smile.

Akko, Lotte, Sucy, Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka set off down the rows, finding Diana sitting in between Hannah and Barbara left of the aisle where their group normally sat.

"Hey, Diana!" Akko yelled, but stopped when Diana pressed a lip to her lips, telling her to be quiet, and pointed to the seat across from her.

Akko and the others leaned over and saw that there was a man in the middle seat, arms folded and his head resting against his chest, fast asleep. Akko's group looked at one another curiously. The Mystic Rail was usually reserved for students and they had never seen an adult there before, except for the attendants who pushed the food carts. Even stranger was that Luna Nova rarely allowed men into their school, the exception being their Magical Pharmaceutics teacher, Professor Hex.

The stranger was a handsome young man, possibly only a little younger than Akko's father, with lightly tanned skin and slicked back black hair. He was wearing a nicely-tailored brown suit underneath his black cloak, which was being held together by a badge with a Chinese character for peace, possibly an indication of his origin.

"Who d'you think that is?" Sucy hissed as they sat down in the seats across the isle.

" _Master Noah_ ," said Stan-Bot at once.

"How d'you know that?"

" _At the award ceremony,_ " Stan-Bot replied.

"Oh yes, now I remember," said Diana thoughtfully. "The article said that many notable scholars and inventors were in attendance for Constanze's award ceremony, including Master Noah. As I recall, he is supposed to be an exceptional mage who uses White Magic."

"Isn't that the same magic your family practices, Diana?" asked Akko.

"Well, that is partially true," said Diana. "But if we are to be more specific, my family has mastered the art of healing magic for generations."

"So what's he doing on the train?" asked Amanda, giving Master Noah the stink eye.

"Isn't it obvious?" said Barbara, rolling her eyes as if it was a dumb question. "The only reason he'd be on the train is if he was a teacher. I heard that Luna Nova used to have a White Magic class back before we were born, but the school started to lose funding because magic was fading out and they got rid of the unnecessary subjects. I guess now that magic isn't a problem anymore and the school started getting more popular again, they're bringing it back."

"Well, I am certainly looking forward to what he has to teach us," said Diana. "By the way, what was it you wanted to talk to me about, Akko?"

With Blair watching them from atop the headrest, Akko explained all about Blair and Professor Holbrooke's argument and the warning Blair had just given her. When she'd finished, Lotte looked thunderstruck, which was the only reaction she seemed to get as the rest of her friends were acting like this was no big surprise. She finally managed to gasp out, "Izetta escaped to come after _you_? Oh, Akko…you'll have to be really, really careful. Don't go looking for trouble, Akko – "

"I don't go looking for trouble," said Akko, nettled. "Trouble usually finds _me_."

"What about when you chased after me for the Shiny Rod?" said Barbara.

"Or when you wandered off into the Arctururs Forest looking for Croix's research notes?" added Blair.

"Or when you broke into the abandoned tower go hunt down Eveline?" Diana included.

"Okay, so I _do_ go looking for trouble!" Akko snapped, crossing her arms and pouting.

"I get that Akko is pretty much the stupidest student that Luna Nova ever had," said Hannah, pointedly ignoring Akko heated glare, "but even she isn't stupid enough to go chasing after someone that wants to kill her, right?"

They were taking the news worse than Akko had expected. They all seemed to be much more frightened of Izetta than she was.

"That's not the real issue here," said Sucy in an even voice. "The real problem is that we don't know what Izetta is capable of. She escaped from Dol Guldur and no one knows how she did it. No one has ever done it before. And it was made to hold some of the worst villains in history like Zeref, Xehanort, and Sauron."

"But they'll catch her, won't they?" said Jasminka earnestly. "I mean, they got everyone looking out for her. It's all over the news…."

"What's that noise?" said Amanda suddenly.

A faint, buzzing noise was coming from somewhere, barely heard over the chatter of the other students. They looked up and down the aisles.

"It's coming from the overhead," said Barbara, standing up and reaching into the overhead compartment. "Sounds like it's coming from your luggage, Akko."

A moment later she had pulled the Truth Bracelet out from the bottom of Akko's trunk. It was humming and shaking hard in Barbara's hands.

"Is that a Truth Bracelet?" said Hannah interestedly, standing up for a better look. "Like the one those lawyer guys use?"

"Yeah…mind you, it's very sensitive" Lotte said. "It picks up lies and deceptions within a fifteen-foot radius."

"Considering we're stuck on a train with teenage schoolgirls," said Amanda dryly, "that thing is gonna be going off nonstop."

"Stick is back between my clothes," Akko advised as the Truth Bracelet started humming louder, "or it'll wake him up."

She nodded to Master Noah. Barbara stuffed the Truth Bracelet into a pair of Akko's old socks, her lips twitching in a revolting grimace from their apparent lack of cleaning, then closed the lid on the trunk to deaden the sound.

"We should have it readjusted in Blytonbury," said Lotte. "There's a magic item shop called the Last Wednesday Society that specializes in those sorts of things. Granny told me about it."

"I've visited Blytonbury once or twice a few years ago," said Diana keenly. "I was not too thrilled that it was because I had to spend days with Andrew, but they have a lovely selection of shops and cafes. My favorite has to be _Fleur De Lapin_ – "

"Figure's you'd be into that froufrou crap," said Amanda with an annoyed groan, "but that's not why I want to go. I just wanna go see Ama Usa An."

"You wanna see a sweet rabbit?" said Akko, blinking in confusion. "Wait, since when can you speak Japanese?"

"I can't," said Amanda blankly. "Ama Usa An is the name of a sweetshop that specializes in Japanese sweets. They've got so many awesome things there and this crazy menu with a lot of funny names. Oh, and there's this super weird rabbit that's so funny, and I hear the waitresses are actually pretty cute – Hey, Constanze, what're you pouting for?" she asked the tiny witch, who turned her head away, puffing out her cheeks.

"Ugh, I can't stand tea and sweet things," said Barbara, sticking out her tongue in disgust. "I wanna go to the Rabbit House. They have excellent premium coffee and the best tasting bread this side of Europe. Supposedly they have a rabbit that looks like a puffy cloud and a waitress who is actually an army veteran."

"I'm looking forward to seeing the local cemetary," said Sucy, grinning wickedly. "My mom said she used to find rare, one-of-a-kind mushrooms that only grow there during the winter seasons on the nights of the full moon. It can be used to make a poison that will turn you into a flesh-eating zombie – then again, that just seems like copying after last year."

" _We should go to the Wild Plains outside the city,_ " said Stan-Bot. " _That's where they have the Wild Hunt each year. Maybe we'll get to see some ghosts._ "

"If we're going sightseeing, we have to check out the Sealing Stones," said Hannah excitedly. "That's where the Great Witch Jennifer trapped the Mad Titan Thanos."

Lotte looked around at Akko, frowning.

"Uh, guys, maybe we should talk about something else?" said Lotte.

"How come?" asked Amanda.

"Because I can't go," said Akko miserably. "I ran away from home before mom and dad could sign my permission form, and Professor Holbrooke wouldn't sign it either."

"What? You're not allowed to come?" said Amanda, looking horrified. "But – no way – Ursula or someone will give you permission – "

"If the Headmistress of the school refused to give permission," Diana cut in, "then it is highly unlikely your Head of House will allow it."

" – then we can sneak you out. We know a lot of the secret passages around – "

"Amanda!" said Blair sharply; everyone had almost forgotten she was there. "It would not be in Akko's best interest if she left the school, especially with Izetta on the loose – "

"But if _we're_ with her," said Amanda spiritedly, "Izetta wouldn't think of – "

"Okay, I know thinking is not one of your strongest skills, O'neill," snapped Blair, "but Izetta destroyed half a major city with a single spell in broad daylight. Do you really think she's going to worry about a few teenage witches who just started getting their periods – "

"Oy, don't say things like that out loud!" hisses Hannah, looking thoroughly embarrassed.

Amanda looked like she was going to snap back when Master Noah stirred. They watched him apprehensively, but he simply turned his head the other way, mouth slightly open, and slept on.

The Mystic Rail had just left Cairo and Diana informed everyone that their next stop would be Luna Nova. The scenery outside the window became wilder and darker while black clouds started to form overhead. People were chasing backward and forward through the aisles. At one o'clock, the attendants with the food carts arrived in their car.

"Do you think we should wake him?" Barbara asked awkwardly, nodding toward Master Noah. "He's been asleep for hours. He's gonna be hungry when he wakes up."

Diana approached Master Noah cautiously.

"Er – Master Noah?" she said. "Excuse me – Master?"

He didn't move.

"Don't worry, dear," said the attendant as she handed Jasminka what seemed like half the cart. "If he's hungry when he wakes, I'll be up front with the conductor."

"I suppose he _is_ asleep?" said Sucy quietly as the attendant continued down the aisle. "He hasn't died, has he? If he is, do you think he would mind if – "

"Sucy, what did we say about harvesting dead people's organs!" Akko chastised her. "Besides, he's not dead, he's still breathing."

Sucy looked thoroughly disappointed.

It was mid-afternoon when they passed the border between from Scotland into England, just as it started to rain, making the scenery outside even more indistinguishable than ever. The rain only thickened as the train sped yet further south, turning the windows into a solid, shimmering gray, which gradually darkened until the overhead lights flickered into life all along the aisles. The train rattled, the rain hammered, the wind roared, and yet, somehow, Master Noah was still fast asleep.

"We've gotta be getting close by now," said Amanda, leaning forward to look past Master Noah at the now completely black window.

The words had hardly left her when the train started to slow down.

"Great," said Amanda, getting up and walking carefully over Master Noah to try and see outside. "I'm starving. I want to get to the feast…."

"We can't be there yet," said Diana, checking her watch.

" _So why are we stopping?_ " asked Stan-Bot.

The train was getting slower and slower. As the noise of the engine fell away, the wind and rain sounded louder than ever against the windows.

Akko turned around in her seat and peeked over the headrest to look around the rest of the car. All along the aisles, students were fumbling to their feet or sticking their heads up like her, all looking confused and nervous.

The train came to a stop with a jolt, and distant thuds and bangs could be heard over their heads coming from the roof. Then, without warning, all the lights went out and they were plunged into total darkness. Frightened shrieks and thuds of colliding bodies joined the chorus of rain and wind. The whole train was flying into a panic. Suddenly, there was a soft crackling noise, and a shivering light filled the compartment. Blair had taken her human form and summoned a large jack-o-lantern above, looking alert and wary.

"Everyone, remain calm!" Blair called to the passengers. "Everything will be fine!"

But hardly anyone listened; the passengers started throwing a barrage of questions at her.

"What's going on?"

"Did we break down?"

"Are we stuck here?"

"Will everyone please take a moment to collect themselves?" said Diana as she calmly stood up beside Blair. "I'm certain that the train conductor is fixing the problem as we speak. We should be moving along any minute now, so please return to your seats and wait patiently."

The passengers seemed to respond to Diana better than Blair, which wasn't surprising as she was the best student Luna Nova had since the Great Witch Jennifer. Slowly, though still uncertain, the panic started to dim and everyone started to sit back down again.

There was a squeaking sound, and Akko saw the dim black outline of Amanda, wiping a patch clean on the window and peering out.

"There's something moving out there," Amanda said. "I think people are coming on to the train…."

"I'm going to go and ask the conductor what's going on," said Blair.

"I'll come along, too," said a hoarse voice suddenly.

Master Noah appeared to have woken up at last; Amanda stumbled back in surprise and tripped over her feet, hitting the back of her head on the armrest. Master Noah slowly got to his feet and stepped over the American girl huddled on the floor holding the sore spot on her head, joining Blair in the aisle.

"I have a bad feeling about all this," said Master Noah in the same hoarse voice. "I think we should stick together, just in case something does happen."

"I wouldn't be against it, Master," said Blair.

Blair led them down the aisle with her jack-o-lantern held in front of her, but the door to the next car slid slowly open before either of them could reach it.

Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the shivering flames of the Blair's pumpkin, was a shadowy monster that towered to the ceiling. It seemed almost human, but its skin was blacker than even the darkness that surrounded them, only barely visible by the faint feint blue veins that crawled across its muscles. Its crooked antenna twitched behind its head, seemingly shuddering from every gasping breath of the passengers. But the thing that made Akko's stomach contract were its eyes: large, round points of glowing gold that seemed to peer through the darkness, piercing through flesh and blood into Akko's very soul. The shadowy monster slowly lifted one of its massive five-fingered hands against the wall, scraping ribbons of metal off with its claws.

And then the shadow monster, whatever it was, drew a long, slow, rattling breath, as though it were trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings.

An intense cold swept over all of them. Akko felt her own breath catch in her chest. The cold went deeper than her skin. It was inside her chest, it was inside her very heart….

Akko's eyes rolled up into her head. She couldn't see. She was drowning in cold. There was a rushing in her ears as though of water. She was being dragged downward, the roaring growing louder…

And then she heard voices, warm and inviting. They were calling out to her. She didn't know who they were, but it felt like she needed to be with them. She tried to move her arms, but couldn't…a thick white fog was swirling around her, inside her –

"Akko! Akko! Are you all right?"

Someone was slapping her face.

"W – what?"

Akko opened her eyes; there were lights above her, and the floor was shaking – the Mystic Rail was moving again and the electricity had come back on. She seemed to have been laid flat across a row of seats. Lotte and Diana were kneeling next to her, and all around she could see her friends along with a large group of people surrounding her, watching with concerned looks. Akko felt very sick; she could feel cold sweat dripping down her face.

Lotte and Diana each grabbed a hand and helped sit up in the middle seat.

"Are you okay?" Lotte asked nervously.

"Yeah," said Akko, taking a quick look around. The shadowy creature had vanished. "What happened? Where's that – that thing? What happened to the voices?"

"What voices?" said Lotte, more nervously still.

Akko looked around the bright train car. Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka frowned in the seats across from her, Hannah and Barbara were both looking very pale, and Sucy was staring silently out the window. Blair shooed away the gathering crowd, demanding that Akko needed some space, which she was grateful for.

"But I could have sworn I heard – "

Akko felt something warm press against her cheek that made her jump. Master Noah was holding out a cup of steaming hot tea.

"Here," he said to Akko, passing it over into her hands. "Drink it. It'll calm the nerves."

Akko accepted the tea but didn't drink it.

"What was that thing?" she asked Master Noah.

"A Heartless," said Master Noah, who was now passing out tea for everyone else. "That particular breed was called a Neo Shadow, one of the most dangerous kinds. They are the guards of Dol Guldur."

Everyone stared at him. Master Noah finished pouring the last of the tea and stood up.

"Drink," he repeated. "It'll help. I need to speak to the driver, excuse me…"

He strolled down the aisle and disappeared into the next car.

"Are you okay, Akko?" said Jasminka, watching Akko anxiously.

"I don't get it…. What happened?" said Akko, wiping more sweat off her face.

"Well – that thing – the Heartless – stood there and looked around – and you – you – "

" _We thought you were having a seizure,_ " said Stan-Bot, whose calm staticky voice couldn't express the scared look on Constanze's face. " _You went rigid and fell out of your seat and started twitching –_ "

"And then Master Noah walked up to the Heartless, and held out his hand," said Sucy, still staring out the window. "And he said, 'None of us is hiding Izetta here. Go now.' But the Heartless ignored him and started climbing the ceiling – it looked like it was trying to go after you. So Master Noah waved his hands around, and something started flying around the air, and it sliced the Heartless' head off and then it just puffed away…."

"It was horrible," said Hannah, in a higher voice than usual. "Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?"

"I felt weird," said Barbara, shifting her shoulders uncomfortably. "Like all the warmth in my heart was fading away…."

"But didn't any of you – fall out of your seats?" said Akko awkwardly.

"No," said Lotte, looking anxiously at Akko again. "Constanze was shaking like a leaf, thought…."

Akko didn't understand. She felt weak and shivery, as though she was recovering from a bad bout of flu; she also felt the beginnings of shame. Why had she gone to pieces like that, when no one else had?

Master Noah had come back. He paused as he came up to them, looked around, and said, with a small smile, "I haven't poisoned that tea, you know…."

Akko took a sip and to her great surprise felt warmth spread suddenly to the tips of her fingers and toes.

"We'll be at Luna Nova in ten minutes," said Master Noah. "Are you all right, Miss…."

"Kagari," said Akko. "Atsuko Kagari, but everyone calls me Akko."

"Well, I'm delighted to see that you are okay, Miss Kagari," said Master Noah.

They didn't talk much during the remainder of the journey. At long last, the train stopped at Glastonbury Station, and there was a great scramble to get outside; birds cawed, cats meowed, and toads croaked loudly. Blair shifted to her cat form and clung to Akko's shoulder while they went to pick up Mikko; the red fox looked perturbed for being caged up for so long. It was freezing on the tiny platform; rain was driving down in icy sheets.

"First years this way!" called a familiar voice. Akko and the others turned and saw the outline of Ursula at the other end of the platform, beckoning the terrified-looking new students forward for their traditional journey through the forest.

"Are you girls all right?" Ursula yelled over the heads of the crowd. They waved at her, but had no chance to speak to her because the mass of people around them was shunting them away along the platform. Akko and the others followed the rest of the school along the platform and out onto the cobblestone road, where over a dozen double-decker buses painted purple with the Luna Nova crest emblazoned on the side awaited the remaining students. Akko would have normally complained how non-magical traveling by bus would be, but she didn't have it in her to say anything and just silently got on board, taking a seat between Lotte and Sucy before the goblin driver shut the doors and set off, bumping and swaying along the way.

The bus smelled faintly of grease and burned rubber. Akko felt better since the tea, but still weak. Lotte and Sucy kept looking at her sideways, as though frightened she might collapse again.

The buses trundled slowly through the Glastonbury and drove out of the city limits until it came to a halt at the bottom of a large hill. Akko followed the other students stepping off and started walking up a stone path that led to a lonely tower at the crest of the hill.

"That's the Glastonbury Tor," Lotte answered before Akko could ask. "It's the main entrance to Luna Nova. Ah, but you need to be able to ride a broom to get through, and you still don't know how to fly on your own…. Uh, but don't worry, you can just pair up with me."

When they reached the last step of the path and joined the queue of students being given brooms by a worker troll, Akko took a moment to look at the tower. It was rather small and had no roof with lots of trees growing inside of it, and standing guard on either side of the entrance like dark sentinels were two more Neo Shadows. A wave of cold sickness threatened to engulf her again; she stepped behind Lotte trying to conceal herself as much as she could and closed her eyes until they were inside the tower. Lotte pulled herself over the broom first and waited for Akko to get on behind and wrap her arms securely around the smaller girl's waist.

" _ **Tia Freyre!**_ " shouted Lotte.

Akko felt a nostalgic weightlessness as the broom slowly rose higher and higher, their feet long leaving the ground. As they rose to the top, an ethereal portal of green energy appeared like it had been ripped open from the sky. When they passed through the boundary, Akko felt like she was being lurched forward through her naval, being thrown through the portal against gales forces at a hundred miles per hour. The sensation only lasted a few seconds before they came out in a completely different area. The rain had stopped and the sky was clear of any clouds, allowing anyone to see the tapestry of stars that rested above their heads. And just up ahead, they could see the many turrets and towers of Luna Nova Academy stretched out before them.

They floated down near the fountain where the statue of the Great Witch Jennifer glistened from the water reflecting the light of the full moon, handing off the borrowed broom to another troll on staff. They walked around the fountain and met Sucy and the others near massive mahogany doors. Everyone was drenched from the heavy rainfall on the other side, but Constanze looked like she had gotten the worst of it; there was mud trekking up from her feet all the way to her armpits.

"What happened to her?" asked Akko, pointing to her smallest friend.

"She stepped into a mud puddle on the way up to the Ley Line Terminal," said Diana, who waved her wand and was instantly dry and fresh-smelling. "Turns out it was much deeper than it looked. We were afraid she might have drowned, being as small as she is."

" _I'm not small!_ " said Stan-Bot as Constanze puffed out her cheeks.

"Yeah, you're fun-sized," said Amanda, grinning.

Constanze gave her a look that showed she wasn't amused.

Sucy prodded Akko in the back to make her hurry, and all nine of them joined the crowd swarming to the front of the castle, through the massive mahogany doors, into the cavernous entrance hall, which was lit with the green flames of many fairies, and housed a gilded spiraling staircase that led to the upper floors.

The door to the Assembly Hall stood open at the right; Akko followed the crowd toward it, but she had barely glimpsed swirling rainbow of fairies that floated around the ceiling when a voice called, "Miss Cavendish! Kagari! I want to see you both!"

Akko and Diana turned around, surprised. Professor Finnelan, the alchemy teacher and one of Akko's least favorite people in the world, was calling over the heads of the crowd. She was a stern-looking witch who wore her hair in a tight bun; her sharp eyes lingered kindly on Diana, but narrowed at the sight of her least favorite student, Akko Kagari. Against her better judgment, Akko fought her way over to her with a feeling of foreboding: Last time Finnelan had called for her before the Sorting Ceremony, she had tried to convince the headmistress to expel her.

"There is no need to look so worried, Diana," Finnelan told her, pointedly ignoring Akko's presence. "I just a word with you two in my office. Move along, girls."

Their friends stared as Professor Finnelan ushered Akko and Diana away from the chattering crowd; they accompanied her across the entrance hall, up the spiraling staircase, and along a corridor.

Once they were in her office, a small room with a welcoming fire, Professor Finnelan motioned Akko and Diana to sit down. She settled herself behind her desk and said abruptly, "Master Noah sent Professor Croix a message via text saying that you had fallen ill on the train, Miss Kagari."

Before Akko could reply, the door suddenly burst open and Ursula and Croix came bustling in. Akko felt herself going red in the face as her two teachers clambered around her, looking for any signs of injury or sickness. It was bad enough that she had passed out, or whatever she had done, without her teachers acting like a couple of overprotective parents.

"I'm fine," she said, "I don't need anything – "

"Don't give us that, Akko," said Ursula sternly, turning Akko's head side to side. "Do you know how worried I was when Croix told me about Master Noah's text? What happened, exactly?"

"It was a Heartless, Professor Ursula," said Professor Finnelan.

They exchanged a dark look, and Croix clicked her tongue disapprovingly.

"Don't know what the Magic Council was thinking putting Heartless in direct access to students," she muttered, pushing Akko's hair back and feeling her forehead. "Better tell Porlyusica to have beds ready; she won't be the last one that collapses. Yeah, she's all clammy. Horrible things, those Heartless, and the effect they have on people who are already in a delicate state – "

"I'm not delicate!" said Akko crossly.

"Of course you're not," said Croix absentmindedly, now checking her pulse.

"What does she need?" said Professor Finnelan crisply. "Bed rest? Should she perhaps spend tonight in the hospital wing?"

"I'm _fine_!" said Akko, jumping up. The thought of what everyone would say if she had to go to the hospital wing was torture.

"Well, she should at least have some tea to calm her nerves," said Ursula, who was trying to peer into Akko's eyes.

"I already had some," said Akko. "Master Noah gave me some. He gave it to all of us."

"Did he, now?" said Croix approvingly. "Guess we should have expected a Master of White Magic to be prepared for this sort of thing."

"Are you sure you feel all right, Akko?" asked Ursula.

" _Yes_ ," said Akko.

"Okay, we believe you," said Croix, throwing her hands up in mock surrender. "Could you wait outside for a moment and then we can all go down to the feast together. Diana, I wanted to talk to you about that…thing we've discussed last year. If it works, it should make your schedule much easier…."

Akko went back into the corridor and waited with Ursula and Professor Finnelan, who looked annoyed to be kicked out of her own office. They had to wait only a few minutes; then Diana emerged looking very happy about something, followed by Croix, and the five of them made their way back down the spiraling staircase to the Entrance Hall.

It was a sea of pointed purple hats and tunics, the only difference being the colors of their belts that determined their Houses. They were making their way to the Dining Hall across the way led by Professor Holbrooke.

"Oh," said Diana softly, "we've missed the Sorting!"

New students at Luna Nova were sorted into Houses by standing in front of the Magic Mirror, which reflected the hearts of those who looked into it and shouted out the House they were best suited to (Polaris, Lunar, Corona, Twilight, and Eclipse). They followed the crowd into the Dining Hall where Ursula, Croix, and Professor Finnelan separated toward the table where Professor Holbrooke was sitting a couple of new first years. Akko and Diana set off in the other direction, as quietly as possible, toward the two tables shared between their friends. People looked around at them as they passed along the back of the hall, and a few of them pointed at Akko. Had the story of her collapse in front of the Heartless traveled that fast?

Akko sat down between Lotte and Jasminka and Diana sat on the opposite side next to Amanda.

"What was that all about?" Amanda muttered.

Akko started to explain in a whisper, but at that moment, Professor Holbrooke stood up, strolled up to the raised platform at the front of the hall, and slammed the bottom of her staff on the floor, creating an echo that silenced everyone. Professor Holbrooke beamed around at the students, and for the first time since the Heartless had entered the train, Akko felt calm and safe.

"Welcome!" said Professor Holbrooke. "Welcome to another year at Luna Nova! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast…."

Professor Holbrooke cleared her throat and continued, "As you will all be aware after their search of the Mystic Rail, our school is presently playing host to some of the Heartless of Dol Guldur, who are here on the order of the Magic Council."

She paused, and Akko remembered overhearing Professor Holbrooke saying she was not happy about the Heartless guarding the school back in Finland.

"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Professor Holbrooke continued, "and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave without permission. Heartless are not to be fooled by tricks of disguises – or even invisibility magic," she added blandly, and Akko and Lotte glanced at each other. "It is not in the nature of a Heartless to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to our teachers to make sure that no student runs afoul of the Heartless."

Professor Holbrooke paused again; she looked very seriously around the hall, and nobody moved or made a sound.

"On a happier note," she continued, "I am pleased to welcome two new changes to the staff this year.

"First, I am sorry to tell you that Doctor Saturday, out Study of Abnormal Creatures, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his family and his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Professor Pisces, who has agreed to take on the position in addition to her class in Magic Philosophy."

She motioned a hand to a nearby table where a small fishbowl rested in the middle of a group of teachers. A beautiful yellowish-green goldfish with turquoise fins waded around the small bowl, her head topped with an adorably tiny witch's hat. Akko remember seeing Professor Pisces last year when she had been sent to Holbrooke's office, but she thought the headmistress had been joking when she said that a goldfish could teach. A good number of students seemed to think the same thing as there was only some scattered, rather unenthusiastic applause.

"As to our second new appointment," Professor Holbrooke continued as the lukewarm applause for Professor Pisces died away. "I would like to welcome Master Noah from the Magic Council's Department of Medical Science and Research, who has kindly consented to fill the post of White Magic teacher that has long since gone unfilled. I hope you all will treat him well."

The applause was much louder for Master Noah than it had been for Professor Pisces. Perhaps some of them were taken in by his reputation, but as Akko looked around the Dining Hall, she could tell that most of the girls here were fawning over having such a handsome man for a teacher. Professor Cosmos, the Herblism teachers, seemed to agree, giving Master Noah a flirt wave. Professor Hex, who was sitting right beside her, gritted his teeth and glared at Master Noah like he had insulted his mother. Everyone knew Professor Hex had a crush on Professor Cosmos.

"Well, I think that's everything of importance," said Professor Holbrooke when the clapping stopped. "Let the feast begin!"

Everyone started pushing out of their seats and made their way to the right-hand side of the hall where a long row of concession tables was. Akko, suddenly ravenous, joined the line and piled her plate with everything she could get her hands on; Jasminka, who was standing behind her, grabbed two plates.

It was a delicious feast; the hall echoed with talk, laughter, and the clatter of knives and forks. As Akko stuffed her face full of Mongolian beef, she entertained herself by looking at all the people around the Hall. The first people to jump out at her were Ursula and Croix, who seemed to have occupied a table all to themselves on the second floor. Professor Croix said something and Ursula giggled behind her hand; it almost looked like they were on a date to Akko. She saw Elma the Dragon of Order and Keeper of the Castle knocking back several shots of flaming liquor with Professor Akane, who had gone red in the face and laughed out loud while she leaned against the dragon. The was a large group of first years around a table near the back of the Hall and, peering over their heads, realized they were all fans of Annabel Crème, who was smiling while looking embarrassed as they showered her with praise. Akko's second favorite teacher, Professor Ymir, was waving her arms animatedly as if trying to describe something to Professor Pisces; the goldfish let out a few bubbles and Ymir started snorting.

Sadly, the feast went by too fast in Akko's opinion as the last of the sherbet went away. Professor Holbrooke gave the word that it was time for them all to go to bed, and Akko and her friends stood up from their seats and walked out into the entrance hall again. Akko, Lotte, Sucy, Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka all went one way while Diana, Barbara, and Hannah went the opposite direction.

"Good night, everyone," said Diana. "We'll see you in class."

"Night, Diana," said Akko, waving her hand lazily and stifling a yawn.

Akko and her friends joined the Polaris students streaming up the spiraling staircase and, very tired now, along more corridors up more and more stairs, to the hidden entrance to Polaris Tower. It was a solid brick wall coated with hundreds of tiny glass marbles that glowed with an ethereal green light, giving them the impression of stars in the dark hall.

"Excuse me, coming through!" Ursula called, stumbling her way through the crowd. "Everyone, remember this sequence to get into the common room! Remember that the password changes once a month!"

Ursula traced her fingers across six marbles at different points of the wall. The wall parted down the middle and a wrought-iron archway greeted them into the common room. Akko walked through and climbed the stairs to the dormitories with no though in her head except how glad she was to be back. They reached their familiar, circular dorm with its six four-poster beds, and Akko, not even bothering to get changed, dropped face first into the pillow and was out like a light.

* * *

 **Originally, I thought the Creatures of Grimm might be a good substitute for the Dementors, but then I remembered the Heartless at the last minute and made the change. The Grimm have always been a more physical threat than emotional or psychological. The Heartless are the living embodiment of negative human emotion and therefore would have a greater effect on human heart and psyche. Those who know what the Heartless are like will probably understand why the Heartless would want to target Akko above anything else as well.**

 **Next Chapter: Diana's Arch-Enemy**


	6. Diana's Arch-Enemy

**Akko Kagari and the White Witch**

 **Chapter Six: Diana's Arch-Enemy**

When Akko and her friends entered the Dining Hall for breakfast the next day, the first thing they saw was Professor Ursula tripping over her own two feet, soaring headlong into a table occupied by Corona second years, and tossing papers into the air. A roar of laughter filled the Hall as Professor Ursula blushed and stooped down to collect her papers. At the same time Croix, Professor Akane, Professor Cosmos, and Professor Finnelan were bustling around the tables, handing a sheet to each of the students from their respective Houses.

Akko, Lotte, and her fellow Polaris students helped Ursula to her feet, collecting the papers up off the ground.

"Oh, oh, thank you," said Ursula, looking flustered. "New course schedules to pass out. Running around looking for everyone isn't easy. Sometimes I wish we could just have everyone organized into single long tables separated by Houses. It would certainly make my job a lot easier."

"But wouldn't separating the Houses cause division among students?" said Sucy. "If we all had to sit away from each other based on our Houses, our circle of friendship would be limited and more likely than not it would create animosity between Houses, especially against the Eclipse due to the reputation they have of being the House of the Eclipse Queen. But the Eclipse aren't bad people – some of them are jerks, yeah – but they have a lot of good people like Professor Croix."

"Yes, I suppose that's true," said Ursula, scratching her chin thoughtfully. "I suppose the idea of dividing Houses when they should be encouraging unity is a rather foolish idea. Oh, before I forget" – she fingered through the stack of papers and handed one to each in Akko's group. "These are the schedules for the year. Don't lose them…. And, I know you are already said so before, but are you all right after last night, Akko?"

"I said I'm fine," said Akko, sitting down at their usual table and resting her head in her crossed arms with a frown.

That's when Diana, Hannah, and Barbara came up to the table next to theirs.

"There's no point in trying to pretend what happened didn't happen, Akko," said Diana coolly. "Many brave men and women have been known to cower in the presence of the Heartless. They are evil incarnate, if you ask for my opinion. Acting tough isn't going to change anything."

"Yeah, I wasn't too happy with them myself," said Barbara. "They're horrible things, those Heartless…."

"They make you feel like there's no hope left in the world," said Hannah, shuddering. "Almost makes you want to just…end it, you know?"

"You didn't pass out, though, did you?" said Akko in a low voice.

"Forget it, Akko," said Amanda bracingly. "Mom had to go out to Dol Guldur one time. And she said it was the worst place she'd ever been, she came back all weak and shaking…. They suck out the light in a person's heart, you know. Happiness, hopes, dreams, memories. Most of the prisoners go insane there. Anyway, put that out of your head and think of something positive, like Chariot Racing. I know Amelia's been spending the whole summer planning new strategies, when she isn't texting Wangari every three minutes."

Akko had been looking forward to Racing again ever since last year when the tournament was cancelled before the second match had started. It was one of the few things that Akko was good at in Luna Nova and, possibly, something she could brag about being better at than Diana. Diana was the anchor for the Lunar House team, the same position as Akko, and she was pretty good. They only had one match together, but it had been interrupted by Marianna jumping out of nowhere and breaking her arm. They never did have the chance to see who was the best broom rider. It certainly gave Akko something to look forward to.

Speaking of whom, Diana was examining her new schedule.

"It looks like we'll be starting our new subjects today," she said happily.

"Diana," said Hannah, frowning as she looked over her shoulder, "they've messed up your schedule. Look – they've got you down for about ten subjects a day. There isn't enough _time_."

"I'll manage. I've fixed it all with Professor Croix's help."

" _You mean Professor Croix managed to get it working_?" asked Stan-bot while Constanze looked surprised.

"For the most past, yes," said Diana, nodding.

"I don't see how you can make this work," said Hannah. "I mean, look at this morning. Nine o'clock, Foretelling. And underneath, nine o'clock, Magical Law. And" – Hannah leaned closer to the schedule, disbelieving – " _look_ \- underneath that, Magic Numerology, _nine o'clock_. I mean, I know you're good, Diana, but no one is _that_ good. How're you supposed to be in three classes at once?"

"Don't be ridiculous," said Diana shortly. "Of course I won't be taking three classes at once.

"Well, then – "

"Pass the marmalade," said Diana.

"But – "

"Hannah, you shouldn't concern yourself if my schedule is a bit full," Diana snapped. "I told you, I've fixed it all with Professor Croix."

The hall was starting to empty as people headed off toward their first lesson. Akko checked her course schedule.

"My first lesson is Foretelling," she said.

"Me, too," said Jasminka happily.

"Then it appears we all have the same class," said Diana. "We had better get going. Professor Ursula is holding the class in western observatory. It will take us ten minutes to get there…."

The three of them finished their breakfasts hastily, said good bye to Lotte and their friends, and walked back through the hall.

The journey through the castle to the western observatory was a long one. Two years at Luna Nova hadn't taught them everything about the castle, and they had never been near any of the observatories before except the one that functioned as Ursula's living quarters.

"There's – got – to – be – a – shortcut," Jasminka panted as they climbed their seventh long staircase and emerged on an unfamiliar landing.

"I think it's this way," said Diana, peering down the empty passage way to the right.

"Can't be," said Akko. "That's south, look, you can see a bit of Jennifer's statue out of the window…"

Just then, they started hearing footsteps coming down the hall behind them. They turned around just as a girl Akko had never seen before ambled onto the landing, carrying a set of books under one arm and appeared to be consulting a map. She was very petite, almost equal to Lotte in height, with lengthy dark blue hair she had tied up into high pigtails. She wore the same required uniform as them, but her belt was orange, meaning she was in Corona.

"Ah!" she yelled, seeing Akko, Diana, and Jasminka, and running up to them. "Oh, thank goodness! I finally found somebody! I was starting to get worried that I'd be late for all my classes, and I don't want to make a bad impression with my teachers on the very first day."

"I've been there," Akko said sagely.

"What class are you looking for?" said Jasminka helpfully.

"Foretelling in the western observatory," she said.

"That's where we're headed," said Akko. "But…we're kinda lost ourselves."

"Wait a minute," said Diana, humming. "Foretelling is for third years and above. You looked to be around our age, but I've never seen you in any classes before."

"Oh, that," said the girl, grinning. "I just transferred here from St. Hilde Academy of Magic in Germany. I'm a third year in the Corona House."

"Oh yeah, you're Wendy Marvell," said Jasminka. "The headmistress told everyone we were getting a transfer during the Sorting Ceremony last night."

"That explains why we didn't know about it," said Akko. "We weren't at the Sorting last night."

"Yeah, well, it's not really that big of a deal," said Wendy bashfully. "I'm more worried about finding all my classes. St. Hilde was much straightforward than this place. The headmistress gave me a directory for all my classes, but I can tell what's up or down on this thing."

"Let me take a look at that," said Diana. Wendy passed over the map and Diana took a moment to look it over. "Hmm…yes, now I know where we are. We need to head in this direction. Follow me, we don't have much time left before class starts."

They hurried after her along the corridor, Wendy nearly tripping over herself when trying to keep up with them. They turned the corner at the end of the hall and narrowly dodged running into Elma, who ended up jumping back in surprise and stepped on her own tail. They turned up to a narrow spiral staircase, puffing loudly as they climbed the steps, getting dizzier and dizzier, until at last they heard the murmur of voices above them and knew they had reached the classroom.

"Well, that wasn't so bad now, was it?" said Wendy, panting.

"Tell that to my lung," Akko wheezed. "I think I left it back at the bottom of the stairs."

They climbed the last few steps and emerged onto a tiny landing, where most of the class was already assembled. There were no doors off this landing, but Jasminka nudged Akko and pointed at the ceiling, where there was a circular trapdoor with a brass plaque.

"'Ursula Callistis, Foretelling teacher,'" Akko read. "How're we supposed to get up there?"

As though in answer to her question, the trapdoor suddenly opened, and a ladder descended right at Akko's feet. Everyone went quiet.

"After you," said Jasminka, grinning, so Akko climbed the ladder first.

When she reached the top, her mouth fell open at the most amazing classroom she had ever seen. In fact, it didn't look like a classroom at all, more like the castle had opened up to the universe itself. Entire planets and stars floated through the classroom in perfect orbit around the brilliant sun that hanged in the center; some of the stars were drawn into the constellations they represented. Akko took a step forward and bumped her knee into something. At least twenty small, circular tables were crammed inside, all surrounded by fat little beanbag chairs. The shelves running around the circular walls were also crammed with dusty-looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls, and a huge array of teacups. And in the very back of the classroom behind a high-back chair was a large brass telescope peering through the large circular opening above.

Jasminka appeared at Akko's shoulder as the class assembled around them, all talking in whispers.

"Where is she?" Jasminka said.

There was a sudden clambering below them and Professor Ursula emerged through the trapdoor, looking like she had just run a marathon.

"Sorry, sorry," she apologized, crawling inside the classroom before standing up. "It's a long way from my office and I got lost, no thanks to the mentally addled knight in the painting…. But I digress. Everyone, pleas, sit, sit. Class is about to start."

They all sank awkwardly into the beanbag chairs. Akko, Diana, Jasminka, and Wendy all sat around the same round table.

"Welcome, everyone, to Foretelling," said Ursula, who had seated herself into the high-backed chair in front of the telescope. "As most of you may already know, I am Professor Ursula, teacher in Magic Astrology and now I will be your teacher again in Foretelling. Before we start the class, let's see if anyone can tell me just what is Foretelling."

To no one's surprise, Diana's hand was the first to reach the air, nearly smacking into Jupiter as it passed.

"Foretelling – also known as Divination, Fortunetelling, or simply Urara – is the fundamental art of using different conduits as a means to predict the outcome based on statistical analysis."

Diana lowered her hand and smirked smugly. She was always to top of her class at everything and always sounded like she had swallowed the textbook. It wouldn't have surprised anyone if Diana would be the one to answer all the questions in class, but then…something unbelievable, impossible even, happened….

"No…," said Ursula awkwardly. "I am afraid that's…incorrect, Miss Cavendish…."

The entire class gasped in unison. In the two years that they had attended, no teacher had ever told Diana that she was wrong. Diana's grin quickly turned into a gaping gasp of shock, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"W-wrong, professor?" Diana stammered. "I'm – I'm wrong."

"Uh…would anyone else like to try?" Ursula asked nervously, obviously trying to avoid her gaze.

If Diana Cavendish couldn't get the answer correctly, there was no way any of them were going to get it, which was a thought shared throughout the class. And then, out of nowhere, Wendy Marvell raised her hand and the words spilled causally from her lips.

"There's a lot more to Foretelling than simple analysis. While it may be partially true that understanding statistic of an outcome are possible, that's just simple probability and not Foretelling. When a Demi-Human uses magic, they summon Fuel Spirit of the planet itself, drawing it into our bodies. By manipulating Fuel Spirit, we can use mediums like crystal balls or tea leaves to glimpse into the River of Time. I once heard that the Great Witch Jennifer mastered these magics so well that she could actually see the future hundreds of years ahead."

"That is precisely correct, Miss Marvell," Professor Ursula clapped; the classroom filled with more simultaneous gasps. "And five points to Corona for remembering the use of fuel spirit. Yes, it's true, that Demi-Humans draw strength from the planet in the form of a spiritual energy called Fuel Spirit, which can grow stronger or weaker depending on their emotions. You are all too young to remember, but there was once a time when we could only draw Fuel Spirit from the Ley Lines through a mystical artifact known as the Sorcerer's Stone."

"But then the Star-Born Child changed all that," said Wendy. "She's the Magical Messiah that freed Fuel Spirit from the Ley Lines, revitalizing the world of magic and spreading it through the atmosphere."

Akko lowered her head, torn between feeling proud and confused. She had heard the story over and over again about how she was born and somehow made the world magical again, but she never understood _how_. Ursula's old school friends, Professor Holbrooke, and, apparently, the Magic Council all knew the answer, but they insisted on keeping her in the dark. But why, though? Why won't they say anything?

Akko was snapped out of her stupor when Professor Ursula spoke up:

"Many Demi-Humans, though talented when it comes to explosions and teleportation, have tried for thousands of years to understand the mysteries of time and the future, but very few have ever succeeded. I will not profess to understand everything myself, but I know enough that Professor Holbrooke felt I should teach this class. For example: Miss Cavendish, how is your Aunt Daryl doing? Is she well?"

"I think so," said Diana, cocking a brow.

"I would suggest you give her a call after class and tell her that basil and garlic are good for reducing a fever," said Ursula. Diana blinked in confusion. Ursula continued nonchalantly. "Now, before you get any ideas of suddenly seeing into the future, know this: Foretelling are about as accurate as a newspaper horoscope. Even if you do see something, just remember that there are literally an infinite number of futures. No one's destiny is etched in stone."

She seemed to be looking directly at Akko as she said that. Ursula's gaze lingered on her for a moment before she continued.

"Now on to our lesson plans," she said placidly. "We will be covering the basic methods of Foretelling this year. The first term will be devoted to reading the tea leaves. Next term, we shall progress to palmistry. Oh, and by the way, Miss Antonenko, I would politely ask that you not eat that bunt cake you have stored away in your bag during class. It's very disrespectful."

Jasminka gave a startled look, pulled open her bag, and revealed the bunt cake she had secretly stashed in with her books.

"In the third term," Ursula went on, "we shall progress to the crystal ball – if we have finished with fire omens, that is. Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty plague of flu. I myself will lose my voice. And around Easter, one of our numbers will no longer be with us."

A very tense silence followed this pronouncement, but Ursula seemed unaware of it.

"I wonder, Miss Kowata," she said to Makoto from Twilight, who was nearest and shrank back in her chair, "if you could please pass me the largest silver teapot?"

Makoto, looking relieved, stood up, took an enormous teapot from the shelf, and put it down on the table in front of Ursula.

"Thank you, Miss Kowata. Incidentally, that thing you are worried about – it will happen on Friday the sixteenth in October."

Makoto trembled.

"Now, I want you all to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me, and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink until only the dregs remain. Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside down on its saucer, wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of _Finding the Future_. I shall move among you, helping and instructing. Oh, and Miss Kagari" – she caught Akko by the arm as she made to stand up – "after you've broken your first cup, would you be so kind as to select one of the blue patterned ones? I'm rather attached to the pink."

Sure enough, Akko had no sooner reached the shelf of tea cups when she tripped over a beanbag and smashed the fine china against the wall. Ursula swept over to her holding a dustpan and brush and said, "One of the blue ones, then, if you wouldn't mind…thank you…."

Akko and Jasminka immediately paired up and Diana, although begrudgingly so, had Wendy Marvell for her partner. When they had their teacups filled, they went back to their table and tried to drink the scalding tea quickly. They swilled the dregs around as Ursula had instructed, then drained the cups and swapped over.

"Okay," said Jasminka as they opened their books at pages five and six. "What can you see in mine?"

"A lot of soggy brown stuff," said Akko jokingly; Jasminka and Wendy snickered behind their hands, but Diana looked affronted.

"Focus on your work instead of playing childish games, Akko," she hissed.

"Aw, lighten up, Cavendish," said Wendy casually.

The way that Diana narrowed her eyes on Wendy, it was amazing the blue-haired girl hadn't burst into flames. It wasn't often that someone did better than Diana, and when they did, she could hold a grudge against them for months at a time. Akko shook her head and returned her focus to her textbook.

"Right, Jas…," said Akko, consulting _Finding the Future_. "You've got a crooked sort of cross…that means you're going to have trials and suffering' – sorry about that – but there's a thing that could be the sun…hang on…that means 'great happiness'…so you're going to suffer but be very happy.

"Sounds like you need to get your inner eye checked," said Wendy, and she, Akko, and Jasminka had to stifle their laughs as Ursula gazed in their direction. Diana, on the other hand, was none too amused.

"I'm glad you are so easily entertained," said Diana with a deep frown. "Why don't _you_ take a go at it."

"Okay," said Wendy, shrugging her shoulders and peering into Diana's cup. "Hmm…this symbol looks like a spider…that means 'strained relations' and there's also something that looks like a pair of scales, so that would be an 'important decision' and next to it is what appears to be two rings together which…represents 'love' – ooh, didn't see that coming – and look, you've got a sun, too. So your teacup means that you will have difficult times with the person you love and will have to make an important decision to find happiness."

"What nonsense," Diana clicked her tongue disbelievingly. "I don't have any feelings of love towards anyone."

"Maybe not now," said Wendy, grinning.

"My turn…" said Jasminka happily as she looked in Akko's cup, her forehead wrinkled with effort. "There a blob that kind of looks like an acorn…. What's that?" She scanned her copy of _Finding the Future_. "'A windfall, unexpected gold.' Oh, isn't that nice? Good for you, Akko…and there's a thing here," She turned the cup, "that look like an animal…yeah, it that was its head…it looks like a hippo…maybe it has something to do with your aunt…"

"For the love of Arcturus, I hope not," said Akko, grimacing.

"Is everything all right over here?" asked Ursula as she swept over to their table.

"I'm having trouble figuring out what these symbols are," said Jasminka disappointedly.

"Why don't you let me see that," said Ursula, taking Akko's cup from her.

Everyone went quiet to watch. Ursula was staring into the teacup, rotating it counterclockwise.

"The falcon…a deadly enemy watches you closely."

"But we already know _that_ ," said Diana in a loud whisper. Ursula stared at her, as did the rest of the classroom; Diana only just realized her mistake and stuttered "W-Well, it's not like Akko hasn't made a few enemies in the past two years. Remember Eveline…."

"I know what you meant to say," said Ursula calmly. "But I'm afraid this refers to a different enemy…."

But even if they bought the excuse, which was unlikely, everyone was still staring at Diana with a mixture of shock and amazement. They had never heard Diana speak to a teach like that before. Ursula lowered her eyes to Akko's cup again and continued to turn it.

"The wheel…you will suffer a heartbreaking loss very soon. My, my, this cup is unfortunate, even for you, Miss Kagari…."

"I thought that was an acorn," said Jasminka sheepishly.

"The skull…danger is in your path. Although, given your history, I think that was to be expected…."

Everyone was staring, transfixed, at Ursula, who gave the cup a final turn, her eyes going wide, and clapped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from gasping, but was too late.

"What…what is it, Professor?" Akko asked nervously.

"This last symbol…it is the fox," said Ursula in a low, hesitant voice. "The great trickster, the deceiver of men and gods alike. It is a symbol that signifies a liar and betrayer. When looking at this cup as a whole, it means that someone you trust is lying to you, seeking to take advantage of your good heart. They will bend you to their wishes and, in the end, they will betray you when they have no further need of you."

Akko's stomach lurched. She had painful flashbacks from last year when she believed that one of her friends was spreading the plague and framing her for it, which nearly result in the entire school being overrun. She wasn't going to repeated the same mistake a second year in a row…. But the way Ursula was looking at her made it almost seem real. Akko couldn't help looked over her shoulder, peering around at her classmates at the thought of one of them being a traitor. Diana, however, had gotten up and moved around to peek into the teacup for herself.

" _I_ don't think it looks like a fox," she said flatly.

"Well, given that Professor Ursula has been at this a lot longer," said Wendy innocently, "I think she knows more about what the cup says than any of us."

Diana surveyed Wendy with mounting dislike; Akko raised herself out of her seat in case Diana decided to make a grab for her wand.

Zizi Delevingne of Twilight walked around to Ursula's other side tilting her head.

"It looks like a fox if you do this," she said, with her eyes almost shut, "but it looks more like a donkey from here," she said, leaning to the left.

"When you're all finished deciding whether or not someone's going to stab me in the back!" said Akko, taking even herself by surprise. Now nobody seemed to want to look at her.

"I think we've all had enough excitement for one lesson," said Ursula, setting down the teacup. "I think we'll leave it here for now. Please pack your things…."

Silently the class took their teacups back to Ursula, packed away their books, and closed their bags. Akko stopped at the ladder for a moment to let everyone else pass, hoping to get a chance to talk to Ursula, but it appeared that the teacher was consulting an old, leather-bound, weather-beaten book with a deep frown on her face as she turned the musty pages. She appeared too busy to talk to her right now, so Akko reluctantly climbed down the ladder, meeting up with Diana and Jasminka. They wandered down the winding stairs in silence, then set off for Professor Finnelan's alchemy lesson. It took them so long to find her classroom that, early as they had left Foretelling, they were only just in time.

Akko found a seat between Sucy and Lotte at the back of the room, feeling as though she was sitting in a very bright spotlight; the students who had attended Foretelling kept shooting furtive glances at her. She hardly heard what Professor Finnelan was telling them about animal metamorphosis magic, and wasn't even watching when she transformed her desk into a magnificent stallion in front of their eyes.

"Really, what has gotten into you all today?" said Professor Finnelan, turning the stallion back into a desk with a faint _pop_ , and staring around at them all. "Not that it matters, but that's the first time I have not gotten an applause from a class."

More than half the class turned their heads toward Akko again, but nobody spoke. Then Diana raised her hand.

"Please, professor, we've just had our first Foretelling class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and – "

"Ah, of course," said Professor Finnelan, suddenly frowning. "There's no need to say any more, Miss Cavendish. Tell me, which of you is it this time?"

Everyone stared at her.

"Me," said Akko, finally.

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me," said Professor Finnelan, fixing Akko with her beady eyes. "Then you should know that, while I respect her as a teacher, the subject that she teaches is one of the most imprecise and thoroughly baseless branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it, because there is no true way to predict the future. Everything that Professor Ursula 'predicts' are just assumptions based on probability and knowing the person in general."

"But it was said that the Great Witch Jennifer – " Wendy started, but Professor Finnelan cut her off.

"Yes, yes, I heard the legends enough times," said Professor Finnelan, scoffing. "Some ridiculous rumor that the Great Witch Jennifer created a series of books that could predict events in the future hundreds of years after she was dead. It's all a bunch of hogwash."

"But wasn't it the Great Witch Jennifer that predicted the coming of the Star-Born Child?" asked Sucy.

Akko stood up straight and looked at her. This was the first time she was ever hearing about this. Sure, she knew from Blair's story that a prophecy had been made about Akko's birth, but she didn't know it had been the Great Witch Jennifer who had foretold it. If that's true, it must have been over seven hundred years since she made the prediction.

"There is no proof that the Star-Born Child is real!" said Professor Finnelan impatiently. "Demi-Humans just use it as a convenient excuse to explain what may very well have been a natural occurrence or an accident thirteen years ago! There is no proof that the Great Witch had so much as a secret diary! It's all a bunch of baseless rumors and wild myths. Foretelling is an impractical waste. I for the life of me cannot understand why the Headmistress allows the course to exist. Now, enough about these absurd 'predictions' and get back to learning about _real_ magic."

Akko didn't feel any better. Professor Finnelan may not have believed there was anything worthwhile when it came to Foretelling, but Akko couldn't shake the feeling of a looming dread in the pit of her stomach. The startled expression on Ursula's face came to the forefront of Akko's mind. She knew Ursula wasn't one for theatrics or making something up; she had looked genuinely worried when she looked in that teacup.

When the Alchemy class had finished, they joined the crowd thundering toward the Dining Hall for lunch.

"Akko, you have no reason to worry," said Diana, pushing a bowl of stew toward her. "You heard what Professor Finnelan said."

"Yeah, I heard her say that the Star-Born Child isn't real," said Akko, frowning. "And yet, here I am."

"That's only because Professor Finnelan doesn't know," said Diana calmly. "Most people don't know that you exist – and by that, I mean the Star-Born Child."

" _But it still means she's wrong_ ," said Stan-Bot pointedly. " _If she's wrong about Akko, then maybe she's wrong about Foretelling, too_."

"I wouldn't have expected you to defend the subject, Constanze," said Diana, cocking a brow. "I thought you were more practical than that."

" _Professor Croix believes in the power of spirits and prophecy,_ " said Stan-Bot. " _Most of her Magitonics are powered by Fuel Spirit and you know she's working on that –_ "

Constanze immediately became flustered and smacked her fist on the top of Stan-Bot's head, immediately knocking it out. Everyone else at the table stared, but she offered no explanation.

"There's just no logic to Foretelling," said Diana, scoffing as she pulled out her new numerology book. "The entire subject seemed very vague if you ask me. Just a lot of guesswork."

"I dare you to go to Labyrinth Town and say that in the middle of a crowded street," said Amanda. "The Uraras there take their fortune telling very seriously over there."

"Just a bunch of vultures taking advantage on foolish or desperate people," said Diana coolly. "Making impractical predictions and telling people what they want to hear in exchange for monetary gain. The entire town is a giant scam."

"Geez, who shoved a stick up your ass?" said Amanda, frowning.

"She's just mad about the new transfer student, Wendy," said Akko obliviously. "Diana got a question wrong in class and Wendy answered it for her. She's just mad because she's not the best at something for a change."

She had touched a nerve. Diana slammer her numerology book down on the table so hard that bits of meat and carrots flew everywhere.

"If being good at foretelling means I have to pretend to see omens in a lump of tea leaves, I'm not sure I'll be studying it much longer! That lesson was a complete waste of time compared with my Magic Numerology class!"

She snatched up her bag and stalked away.

Barbara frowned after her.

"What's she talking about?" she said out loud. "She hasn't been to a Magic Numerology class yet."

* * *

Akko was pleased to get out of the castle after lunch. Yesterday's rain had cleared; the sky was a clear, pale gray, and the grass was springy and damp underfoot as they set off for their first ever Study of Abnormal Creatures class.

Akko was glad that all of her friends were taking the class with her this time, but Diana was still not speaking to her; this brought back vivid flashbacks of their first year when Diana found out about Akko's secret. Diana purposely placed herself on the opposite end of Akko among their group of friends as they went down the sloping lawns a small storage shed on the edge of the Arcturus Forest. And when Akko spotted the familiar dark-blue hair of Wendy Marvel, she had a sinking feeling that this class was going to end just as badly as it did in Foretelling.

Everyone was gathered around Professor Pisces bowl, which was left alone on a tree stump. Akko looked around with uncertainty.

"So…what're we gonna do?" she asked. "Are we supposed to, like, carry her, or…."

And then, quite suddenly, Professor Pisces turned to the opening in her bowl and jumped out. The students let out concerned gasps when the goldfish was consumed by a strange green energy and expanded outwards until it touched safely on the grass. When the light dimmed, Akko and the others suddenly found themselves staring at the most beautiful woman they had ever laid eyes on. She was tall and slender with impossibly smooth peach-colored skin, long, glistening blueish-green hair, and eyes that glittered like sapphires. The one thing that stood out about her appearance, however, was the pair of fins that were in place of where her ears should have been. She smoothed out the teacher's robe that had mysteriously appeared on her body and readjusted the hat that topped her head, looking around at the dazed students.

"Greetings to you all," she said politely in a voice that sounded like an angel's song. "I am Professor Pisces. I will be your teacher for the Study of Abnormal Creatures. Before we begin, are there any questions you would like to ask – "

"How did you go all human like that!" Hannah said without thinking.

"Professor Finnelan should be teaching third years about metamorphosis magic around this time," said Professor Pisces. "It's the same concept, only in reverse."

"Could you always do that?" asked Barbara in awe.

"I never found the need to until now," admitted Professor Pisces. "I considered that teaching this subject would be more difficult in my natural form, so I have taken a temporary change. Now, if there aren't any more questions, I would like you all to follow me. It should be an exciting first lesson."

Akko was in such a dazed state that she didn't even care that they were strolling dangerously close to the Arcturus Forest; she didn't think it was possible for anyone to be prettier than Diana – all those weird otakus with student-teacher fetishes suddenly made sense. They walked around the edge of the trees for five minutes until they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in there.

"Would everyone gather around the fence, please," called Professor Pisces. "Can everyone see properly – good – now the first thing I want you to do is open your textbooks to chapter twenty-seven."

Everyone took out their copies of _Cryptid Care_ and the paddock was filled with the sound of turning pages until they found the page they were searching for.

"Qilins?" said Lotte in surprise when she saw the title. "Um, Professor, isn't this a little advanced for us?"

"You mean compared to the Minotaur in your first year, or the Plague Monster in your second?" said Professor Pisces with a slight amusing tone. "No, Qilin are benevolent beings known for being good omens that bring prosperity and serenity. They only harm those with wicked hearts, so you should all be safe…mostly" – she cast a leer at Barbara as she said that – "Right then, please read up the first two pages of the chapter while I go fetch our abnormal creature for the day."

She strode away from them into the forest and out of sight.

"Hey, Akko," Wendy greeted them immediately when Pisces was gone. "Looks like we ended up in the same class again. This should be fun."

"Uh…yeah," said Akko, shooting an apprehensive look at Diana, who huffed and looked away pointedly.

"Is…something wrong, Diana?" Wendy asked curiously, noticing the blonde's upset expression.

"She just mad because you showed her up in class," said Amanda with a cocky grin. "She's so used to being the queen bee around here that she's not used to being second best. I only regret that I didn't get to see the look on Diana's face when Professor Ursula said she was wrong. I knew I shouldn't have signed up for that Modern Magic class with you, Constanze."

"Uh…that's…neat…," said Wendy awkwardly.

"Oooooooh," squealed Hannah, pointing toward the opposite side of the paddock.

Trotting toward them were a dozen of the most bizarre creatures Akko had ever seen. They had the head of dragons, the antlers of a deer, the skin and scales of a fish, the hooves of an ox, and the tails of a lion. Each one of them seemed to be creating different colored flames around the joints where their legs met the main body. The beasts all had thick leather collars around their necks, which was attached to a long chain, and the ends of all of there were held in Professor Pisces' dainty hand as she came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures.

"Get up there!" she yelled, shaking the chains and urging the creatures toward the fence where the class stood. Everyone drew back slightly as Professor Pisces reached them and tethered the creatures to the fence.

"And now we have our Qilins," said Professor Pisces, waving a hand at them. "Very magnificent, don't you think?"

Akko could sort of see what Professor Pisces meant. Once you got over the first shock of seeing something that was a chimera of many animal parts, you started to appreciate the Qilin's gleaming scales in the sunlight and the beauty of their flicking flames, each of them a different color: jade green, vibrant pink, apple red, ocean blue, smoky gray, and inky black.

"So," said Professor Pisces, rubbing her hands together and beaming around, "if you want to come closer – "

Wendy was the first one up to the fence and Diana, not wanting to be outdone, was quick to join as well. Everyone else moved in closer afterwards, following the example of Luna Nova's top pupil.

"Now, the first thing you need to know about Qilin is that while they are benevolent beings, they are to be respected," said Professor Pisces. "You do not wish to disrespect a Qilin, for they have been known to punish those with wicked hearts with the breath of flames or lightning from the sky. A Qilin's patience can only last for so long, so it's best not to test it. You always wait for the Qilin to make the first move; it's polite, you see. You walk toward him and bow. If he bows back, then you are allowed to touch him. If he doesn't bow, then it must sense wickedness in your hearts. If that happens, you are to get away immediately. Do not attempt to approach it, for it will attack if provoked."

"Right – who wants to go first?"

Most of the class seemed to back away in answer. Even Akko had her misgivings. The Qilin were tossing their fierce heads and flexing their powerful legs; they didn't seem to like being tethered like this. Professor Pisces looked disappointed until Wendy suddenly hopped over the fence, not a trace of fear in her eyes, and threw up her hand with a cheerful smile.

"I'll do it!" she shouted eagerly.

Akko heard a soft growl coming from her right-hand side and turned to look at Diana, who was shooting daggers at Wendy's back. Being outdone in both Foretelling and Study of Abnormal Creatures, Wendy was already pushing Diana farther than anyone ever dared. Akko wondered who would kill Wendy first: Diana or the Qilin.

"Good girl, Miss Marvell," said Professor Pisces appreciatively. "Right then - let's see how you get along with Qing."

She untied one of the chains, pulled a golden-scaled Qilin with bright red flames away from its fellows, and slipped off its leather collar. The class on the other side of the paddock seemed to be holding its breath. Diana's eyes narrowed maliciously.

"Easy, now, Miss Marvell," said Professor Pisces quietly. "You have to make eye contact with it first, try not to blink…. Qilin don't trust people who blink too much…."

Wendy stepped closer to the Qilin, but stopped a few feet away, maintaining eye contact with the creature without blinking. Qing had turned his massive, horned head and was staring at Wendy with one fierce golden eye.

"That's it," said Professor Pisces. "That's it…now, bow…"

Wendy clapped her hands together and bended forward in a deep bow, her long pig-tailed draping over her face and exposing her neck. The Qilin padded closer, its massive hooves surprisingly not disturbing a single blade of grass beneath it, and leaned in to sniff Wendy's head.

"Ah, don't move," said Professor Pisces. "Okay, Miss Marvel, wait until the Qilin backs away, then slowly retreat…."

But then, to Akko's enormous surprise, the Qilin suddenly bent its front knees and sank into what was an unmistakable bow.

"Well done, Miss Marvel!" said Professor Pisces, ecstatic. "Right – you can touch him now. Go ahead, pat him on the snout.

Akko would have personally getting as far away from the Qilin would have been a better reward, but Wendy hopped up with a bright smile and practically bounced over to the chimera. She reached out for its huge dragon face, her hands dangerous close to the teeth, and started petting it affectionately. The Qilin closed its eyes lazily, as though enjoying it, and Wendy started making baby noises as if she were petting an overgrown puppy.

The class broke into applause, all except for Diana, who was looking deeply disappointed.

"Right then, Miss Marvell," said Professor Pisces. "I think he might let you ride him."

"Really?" said Wendy excitedly. "Awesome!"

"All right, just climb up there behind its front joins," said Professor Pisces, "and don't worry about the flames, they're harmless against goodhearted people. And you might want to wrap your arms around its neck, the scales are very slippery…."

Wendy put her foot on top of Qing's strong legs and hoisted herself onto his back. She leaned back and forth in her seat, trying to find a comfortable position, and pressed herself flat against the Qilin's head while stretched her tiny arms around it's wide throat.

"Go on, then!" shouted Professor Pisces, slapping the Qilin's hindquarters.

Without warning, the Qilin rushed forward towards the students and leaping over the high fence. Everyone scrambled out of the way; Akko dropped to the ground with her hands covering her head alongside Amanda and Lotte, who all had the same idea. But as the Qilin cleared the fencing, it did not come down, but soared upward past the canopy of trees and into the open sky. From down below, it looked like Wendy was struggling for a bit; her arms were so small that they couldn't fully reach around the Qilin's neck, her fingers slipping on the glossy scales; she was rocking backward and forward as the hindquarters of the Qilin rose and fell as it seemed to trot across the clouds like magnificent mare. But after two loops around the paddock, Wendy seemed to get the hang of it and even raised her fists over her head, her cheerful whoops only faintly heard from below.

Qing and Wendy flew around the paddock one more time and then headed back to the ground; Wendy leaned back as the smooth neck lowered and braced herself as the Qilin landed heavily on the ground, but still did not disturb the grass beneath its massive hooves. Wendy managed to hold on and pushed herself straight again.

"Excellent work, Miss Marvell," shouted Professor Pisces as everyone except Diana cheered. "Ten points for Corona for that magnificent performance. Okay, who else wants to try?"

Embolden by Wendy's success, the rest of the class climbed cautiously into the paddock. Professor Pisces untied the Qilin one by one, and soon people were bowing nervously, all over the paddock. Amanda ran repeatedly backward from hers, which seemed to be giving her the stink eye and refused to bend its knees. Akko, Lotte, and Sucy practiced on gray one.

Diana, Hannah, and Barbara had taken over Qing. He had bowed for Hannah and Barbara, which surprised everyone given her reputation, but the only person it didn't seem to approve of was Diana. She bowed for what must have been the fifth time, but the Qilin snubbed her and Diana let out a frustrated growl.

"What is wrong with this animal!" Diana howled furiously, stomping right up to the Qilin. "If Marvell could get you to bow your head, then I should most certainly be able to! So why won't you just do what you're supposed to, you stupid amalgamated monster?"

It happened in a flash of scarlet flames; Diana let out a high-pitched scream and next moment, Professor Pisces was wrestling Qing back into his collar as he strained to get at Diana, who lay curled on the grass, smoke pluming from her right sleeve.

"It burned me!" Diana cried as the class panicked. "That monster burned me!"

"You're going to be all right!" said Wendy, who had gone very white and slid to her knees next to Diana. "I can heal you. My Sky Magic can – "

"I don't need your help!" Diana spat furiously.

"Out of me way! Out of my way!" said Professor Pisces as she shoved through the crowd. "Don't worry, Miss Cavendish, we'll get you patched up…. Someone help me here – "

Lotte ran to hold the gate as Professor Pisces lifted Diana into her arms. As they passed, Akko saw that her right arm was completely blackened with deep, gushing cracks in the skin; blood splattered the grass and Professor Pisces ran with her, up the slope toward the castle.

Very shaken, the Study of Abnormal Creatures class followed at a walk. Many of the students were shouting about Professor Pisces.

"They should fire her right away!" said Hannah, who was in tears.

"It was the princess's fault for calling him a stupid monster!" snapped Amanda.

They all climbed the stone steps into the deserted entrance hall.

"I'm going to see if she's okay!" said Hannah, and they all watched her run up the spiraling staircase. Everyone was still muttering about Professor Pisces as they went their separate ways; Wendy seemed lost in thought as she remained rooted in the middle of the hall by the time Akko and the others went up to Polaris Tower.

"Do you think she'll be all right?" said Lotte nervously.

"Of course she will. Porlyusica can heal almost anything," said Akko, who had far worse injuries mended by the nurse.

"That was a really bad thing to happen in Professor Pisces's first class thought, wasn't it?" said Sucy. "Everything was fine until Diana let her jealousy get the best of her."

"You think that's why the Qilin wouldn't bow to her?" asked Akko.

"Must be," said Sucy. "She's used to being the best at everything, so when she finally met someone who's better than her, she took it out on the Qilin. Pretty stupid for the smart girl…."

They were the first to reach the Dining Hall at dinnertime, where they found Professor Pisces in her fishbowl with Professor Ymir.

" _It doesn't look like she's been fired_ ," said Stan-Bot. " _That's some good news._ "

Hannah and Barbara didn't join them at their usual table. They were huddled together with a large group of people, all of whom were students who had attended the Study of Abnormal Creatures class. Akko was sure they were cooking up their own version of how Diana had been injured.

"Well, you can't say it wasn't an interesting first day back," said Sucy.

They were about to go up to the library after dinner and try to do the homework Professor Finnelan had given them, despite Akko and Amanda's protests, when they found Wendy Marvell sitting in the shadow of the dragon-riding witch in the middle of the entrance hall. She looked alone and miserable, poking at a bowl of soup she had stolen from the Dining Hall, but wasn't eating it.

"What's wrong with Wendy?" asked Akko curiously.

"Hannah and Barbara started a rumor," said Amanda, frowning. "They convinced everyone that Wendy made the Qilin attack Diana on purpose. Nobody wants to be around her."

That's horrible!" said Jasminka.

"Wouldn't put it past those two to come up with something mean like that," said Akko, growling. "And I thought they changed…. C'mon, let's go talk to her."

Akko marched purposely up to Wendy with Lotte and the others more or less reluctantly following. When Akko was standing over her, Wendy slowly lifted her head; all of the joy and mirth that had filled her eyes that morning was gone.

"I suppose it's a record," she said thickly when she recognized them. "I bet there's never been a student that was expelled from Luna Nova after one day before."

"You haven't been expelled, have you?" gasped Lotte.

"Not yet," said Wendy miserably, decidedly giving up on her soup and set the bowl aside. "But it's only a matter of time, isn't it, after Diana…."

"How is she?" said Akko as they all sat down. "It wasn't serious, was it?"

"I went up to the hospital wing to check on her," said Wendy dully. "Porlyusica fixed her up as best she could, but Qilin flames are magical by nature. It's not something that can simply be fixed with the wave of a wand…."

"Yeah, Porlyusica told me that last year," said Akko. "I'm sure Diana tried to fix it herself, what with the Cavendish being master healers and all."

"I would have fixed her if she let me," said Wendy miserably. "Sky Magic is the most powerful of healing techniques and it's my specialty. But when I told her that, she glared at me and told me to go away…."

"Even after her arm is nearly burned off, Diana still doesn't like to be outdone," said Amanda with an exasperated sigh. "Well, at least she's getting better and Professor Pisces didn't get fired. I call that a win in my book."

"I overheard Professor Pisces and Professor Holbrooke when I was going back to the dorms," said Wendy. "Professor Holbrooke says that she won't fire Professor Pisces, but the school governors are very angry. They said she started too big. Should have left Qilins for later…should have done tuber worms or something…. It's all my fault…."

" _You didn't do anything wrong_ ," said Stan-Bot. " _It was Diana's fault._ "

"We were witnesses," said Amanda. "We all saw Diana run up to that Qilin without permission and insulted it. Anyone would have realized that was a mistake. We'll tell Holbrooke what really happened."

"Yeah, don't worry, Wendy, we'll back you up," said Jasminka.

Tears leaked out the corners of Wendy's eyes, sniffling as she wiped them away with the back of her hand.

"Thank you, everyone," she said gratefully. "It's nice to know I have some friends here. I was so worried when I left St. Hilde that no one would like me."

"Hey, hey, you'll make plenty of friends," said Akko, grinning confidently. "Diana just needs time to calm her head. Although, you might need to wait a while – she held a grudge against me for a whole year…. By the way, why _did_ you decide to come to Luna Nova anyway? Weren't you already going to a magic school?"

"Well, the thing about that is – "

"And just what do you girls think you are doing out in the middle of the entrance hall!"

Everyone froze up as the sharp voice punctured the mood. Professor Finnelan stood over them, fists on her hips, leering at everyone, especially Akko.

"Do you girls have any idea what time it is?" she told them scornfully. "You know you are not supposed to be wandering around after curfew. I would have thought three years would have been enough to wisen you up to that fact, Miss Kagari. Now get to bed, all of you, before I start handing out detentions!"

They all scrambled to their feet, bumping into one another, collecting their bearings, and zipped out of the entrance hall as fast as their legs could carry them. Professor Finnelan huffed and turned to head back to her office, unknowingly stepping into the bowl of soup Wendy left behind. Professor Finnelan frowned.

"Of course…."

* * *

 **Even Diana isn't immune to the green-eyed monster. After being the queen of Luna Nova for so long, Diana's world is shaken when someone better suddenly comes along to dethrone her and ends up making a costly mistake because of it. And unfortunately, innocent little Wendy is the victim of social prejudice, a position that Akko knows very well from her early years.**

 **Next Chapter: The Bogeyman in the Closet**


	7. The Bogeyman in the Closet

**Akko Kagari and the White Witch**

 **Chapter Seven: The Bogeyman in the Closet**

Diana didn't reappear until late on Thursday morning, when they were halfway through double Magic Pharmaceutics. She stomped into class, looking more irritable than usual, her right arm covered in bandages and bound up in a sling, acting, in Akko's opinion, like she was about to curse the first person that said anything.

"How is it, Diana?" simpered Hannah. "Does it hurt much?"

"I got my arm burned by a Qilin," snapped Diana. "How do you think it feels?"

Hannah backed away from Diana like she had been burned as well. Akko watched Diana struggle to take out her books and supplies, refusing any help that was offered. Then she looked over at Wendy, who was sitting alone in the darkest corner of the room, looking just as miserable.

"If you're all finished with your personal drama," said Professor Hex, in an uncaring tone, "you still have a half-hour left, so don't give me any excuses about it not being finished by the time class is done. That includes you, Cavendish."

They were making a new potion today, a shrinking solution. Diana heaved her cauldron on the table with a bit of effort from only using one hand and set out all the necessary ingredients on her table. She started to chop up her roots, but her left hand was shaky, more acquainted to using her right, and when she began to chop, they came out roughly in different sizes.

"Um…Diana, do you need any help?" Akko asked politely; she jumped back when Diana glared at her.

"I don't need any help, Akko," she hissed.

"But the instructions say they have to be in equal parts to – "

"I know what I'm doing!" said snapped, frustrated. "This is just…preparation, that's all. Taking things step by step so that the potion can come out perfectly. That's all."

"If that's what you wanna keep telling yourself," said Sucy in her usual uncaring tone as she stirred the concoction on their table. "But if you keep letting your pride get in the way of your results, you're definitely going to fail this class. I'll bet that would hurt worse than the Qilin, wouldn't it?"

Diana leered at Sucy for a moment before her gaze dropped to her mangled set of roots. She seemed to be contemplating over which would be the best course of action, then pouted and turned her head away, speaking in a mumble:

"Would you please help me…."

"Sure thing, Diana," said Akko, letting out a sigh of relief. She moved her things over to Diana's table, pulled the mutilated roots toward her, and took the knife to it with a careful eye. "Are you gonna need your palm fig skinned, too. It's very tricky, so you kinda need both hands."

"…only because you insist," Diana mumbled again. "But let's just be clear, you're only helping me prepare all the ingredients. I'm perfectly capable of making the potion for myself."

"Hai, hai," Akko giggled, slipping in a little Japanese.

After repairing the damage to Diana's roots, she took the pig fig and skinned the surface with the same knife; Diana was apprehensive when Akko nearly cut her finger trying to do so. Thankfully, she managed to get it done without any incidents and set it in front of Diana, who had lit the fire underneath her cauldron.

"So…have you talked to Wendy at all?" Akko asked her quietly.

"Not since last Monday," said Diana jerkily, without looking up. "I've been more than a little preoccupied lately. My mother arrived at Luna Nova when she heard about the Qilin attack…and my Aunt Daryl came with her."

"Is that a bad thing?" asked Akko.

"You don't know my Aunt Daryl," said Diana with a grimace. "When she heard about the Qilin attack, she immediately went to the school governors about it; said that the heir of the Cavendish House being attacked by a creature on school property is a capital offense. Aunt Daryl has been trying for days to get Professor Pisces fired, despite my telling her that it is no big deal."

"Can't your mom do something about her?" said Akko. "Isn't she the head of the House or something."

"My mother Athena married into the Cavendish House," said Diana. "It was my other mother, Bernadette, who was the Head of the Cavendish House, but she passed away from sickness when I was very little. So until I come of age, my Aunt Daryl holds all the political power in our family. The Cavendishes have a lot of influence in Luna Nova and the Magic Council, as you already know."

"Do you think there's any way she can get Professor Pisces fired," Akko asked out of concern, accidentally beheading a dead caterpillar when she wasn't paying attention.

"Professor Holbrooke has just as much of an influence as the Cavendish House," said Diana. "I'm sure she'll keep Aunt Daryl at bay."

"Well, that's good," said Akko in relief. "Now if you could just do something about Hannah and Barbara."

"What about them?" said Diana, checking the cauldron temperature.

"They've been bullying Wendy, making everyone turn against her," said Akko. Diana hummed, but she didn't appear to be interested in what Akko was saying. "Come on, Diana, you know they'll listen to you. Just tell them to back off."

"I'm certain Miss Marvell can take care of herself," Diana spoke in a bitter tone. "She seems perfectly capable at everything else."

"You have got to be kidding me," Akko huffed. "You're gonna let a new girl be bullied just because you think she might be getting better grades than you? That's just petty, and the Diana Cavendish I know would never let people be bullied like that…. Okay, so there was that time in first year, but Wendy isn't as emotionally strong as me."

Diana started stirring her cauldron as she added the shredder roots and skinned pine fig to the mixture, changing the potion to a bright, acid green. As she did so, Akko noticed that her eyes narrowed slightly and her lips formed into a frown, but her gaze didn't look angry, rather thoughtful at best. This was Akko's chance to go in for the kill.

"You always said that the Cavendish House was about being affectionate, right?" she said in a whisper close to Diana's ear. "So how about showing a little of that affection. Remember that motto…um…Sybilla something – "

" _Sybilladura Lelladybura,_ " Diana corrected, heaving an exasperated sigh. "Fine…I'll talk to Hannah and Barbara about easing up on Marvell, but don't blame me if they don't decide to listen. I Know at least Barbara won't. Now, hurry up and chop the sulfur bar into equal pieces."

But while Akko had been helping Diana set up her potion, she had unknowingly neglected her own. She didn't even realize it until Professor Hex was standing right at their table, peering down into Akko's cauldron. Instead of the pale, blue color that it was supposed to be, her potion had turned –

"Orange, Kagari," said Professor Hex, ladling some up and allowing it to splash back into the cauldron, so that everyone could see. "Orange. Tell me, Kagari, does anything penetrate that thick skull of yours? Didn't you hear me say, quite clearly, that the potion needed to be stirred six times counterclockwise every four minutes. Didn't I state plainly that a dash of lychee barriers would suffice. What do I have to do to make you understand, Kagari?"

"Believe me, professor, better men than you have tried," said Sucy snidely.

"Please, sir," said Diana. "She was helping me. If I could just help Akko put it right – "

"Then that would defeat the whole purpose of the lesson, wouldn't it," said Professor Hex coldly. "Kagari, at the end of this lesson we will feed a few drops of this potion to" - He waved his scepter and a puff of smoke exploded in his hand, soon holding Blair the Cat by the nape – "your cat. And see what happens. Perhaps that will encourage you to do it properly."

"Wait, what's going on?" said Blair, looking around in a panic. "Where'd my cat bed go? Akko-nyan, what'd he mean 'see what happens'? Akko-nyan? AKKO-NYAN!"

Professor Hex moved away, taking Blair to the front of the class with him.

"Help me!" Akko moaned to Diana.

"Fine…," said Diana, shaking her head. "But pay attention this time."

"Hey, did you hear?" Akko overheard Elfriede from Eclipse whispering to Nanoha Takamachi at the table in front of them. "It was in the news this morning – someone thinks that they spotted Izetta."

"Where?" Nanoha whispered back; Akko leaned in closer to listen.

"Over in Taunton not too far from here," said Elfriede, looking excited. "It was a Human who saw her. Heard they spotted near the St. James Church – that's where the Ley Lines run under the town. The Human phoned in the sighting on that hot line thing, but when the Custody Enforcement Unit had arrived, the Ley Line tunnel had been destroyed. But the strangest part was that no one ever saw Izetta walk into the church."

"That could only mean she had already arrived there via the Ley Line," said Nanoha thoughtfully.

"Yeah, and it's not the first either," said Eflriede. "Apparently, all of the local Ley Line Terminals in England have been getting destroyed one by one. No one had any idea who was doing it until now. But why would Izetta be going around destroying Ley Line Terminals?"

"If Izetta destroys the Glastonbury Tor, doesn't that mean we'll be trapped in Luna Nova?" Nanoha hissed fearfully.

"Let's hope they catch Izetta before it comes to that," said Elfriede solemnly.

"Not too far from here…," Akko repeated softly. She turned around and saw Diana watching her closely? "What? What're you looking at? Oh, the potion! Sorry, Diana, I just got – "

"You're not thinking of trying to catch Izetta on your own, are you, Akko?"

"Why would you think that?" said Akko, blinking curiously.

Diana's mouth thinned in a way that was similar to Professor Finnelan.

"I'm just saying that you have a tendency to act before you think," she said quietly, "especially where Shiny Chariot is involved. Just tell me you have no plans of leaving the castle, that you won't go looking for Izetta."

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" said Akko, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "First Blair, now you. Yeah, I get that Izetta betrayed Shiny Chariot for the Eclipse Queen, but I don't see why I should have to take it personally."

"Wait, you don't know?" gasped Diana, her vivid blue eyes wide in astonishment.

"Know what?"

"You know what? Just forget I said anything," she said, pointedly looking away. "You should just leave Izetta to the Heartless. And Akko, promise me, whatever you hear, do not even think about looking for her."

" _What are you talking about?_ " said Akko angrily, but at that moment, Professor Hex called, "You should have finished adding your ingredients by now; this potion needs to stew before it can be drunk, so clear away while it simmers and then we'll test Kagari's…."

Hannah and Barbara were snickering from their table as Akko suddenly realized she was still in class and started stirring her potion feverishly. Diana was muttering instructions to her out of the corner of her mouth, so that Professor Hex wouldn't see. But as Akko dumped the last of her own ingredients into the cauldron, her mind bubbled just like her potion.

What did Diana mean when she said Akko didn't know? Was there something that Diana was aware of about Izetta that she wasn't. Akko supposed it made sense; both her mother and Akko's mother, Chariot, had been in the same group together along with Blair, Croix, and Izetta. It only made sense that Athena would tell her own daughter, but it still didn't make sense why everyone thought Akko would go after her. As far as Akko knew, the only thing Izetta had ever done to Akko was sell Chariot and the others out to Aradia, but that wasn't enough to make her want to go on a worldwide search for her.

The end of the lesson in sight, Professor Hex strode over to Akko, still carrying Blair by the nape.

"Everyone gather around," said Professor Hex, his black eyes glittering, "and watch what happens to Kagari's cat. If she has managed to produce a shrinking solution, it will shrink into a kitten. If, as I don't doubt, she has done it wrong, her cat is likely to be poisoned."

"Don't I get a say in this?" yelped Blair.

Everyone watched fearfully. Professor Hex dipped a small spoon into Akko's potion, which was now green. Blair put up a good fight trying to keep the concoction away from her mouth, but Professor Hex pulled her by the tail, causing her to screech, and jammed the spoon in.

There was a moment of hushed silence, in which Blair gulped; then there was a small pop, and Blair the Witch-Kitten was wriggling in Professor Hex' palm.

The classroom bursts into applause. Professor Hex, looking sour, pulled a small bottle from the pocket of his cloak, poured a few drops on top of Blair, and she reappeared suddenly, fully grown.

"Five points from Polaris _and_ Lunar," said Professor Hex, which wiped the smiles from every face. "I told you not to help her, Miss Cavendish. Class dismissed."

Akko and the usual gang climbed the steps to the entrance hall. Akko was still thinking about what Diana had said, while Amanda was seething about Professor Hex.

"Take away five points just because she got the potion right! Why didn't you lie, Princess? You should've said Akko did it all by herself!"

"Do you honestly think anyone would believe that?" said Sucy drearily.

"Well…no, but you could have said it anyway, Princess!"

Diana didn't answer. Amanda looked around.

"Where'd she go?"

Akko turned too. They were at the top of the steps now, watching the rest of the class pass them, heading for the Dining Hall and lunch.

"She was right behind us," said Jasminka, frowning.

Wendy passed them, walking with her head down when she noticed Hannah and Barbara. She made a small noise and disappeared.

" _There she is,_ " said Stan-Bot.

Diana was panting slightly, hurrying up the stairs; her one good hand was clutching her bag while struggling to tuck something in her pocket.

"How'd you do that?" said Amanda.

"What?" said Diana, joining them.

"One minute you were right behind us," said Barbara, "the next moment, you were back at the bottom of the stairs again."

"What?" Diana looked slightly confused. "Oh – I had to go back for something. Oh no – "

A seam had split on Diana's bag. Akko wasn't surprised; she could see that it was crammed with at least a dozen large and heavy books.

"Why are you carrying all these around?" Lotte asked her.

"You know how many subjects I'm taking," said Diana breathlessly. "Could you please hold these for me."

"But – " Hannah was turning over the books she had handed her, looking at the covers. "You haven't got any of these subjects today. It's only Basic White Magic this afternoon."

"Oh yes," said Diana vaguely, but she packed all the book back into her bag just the same. "I hope there's something good for lunch, I'm starving," she added, and she marched off toward the Dining Hall.

"Do you get the feeling Diana's not telling us something?" Lotte asked Akko.

"Almost all the time," said Akko, sighing.

* * *

Master Noah wasn't there when they arrived at his first Basic White Magic lesson. They all sat down, took out their books, pens, and papers, and were talking when he finally entered the room. Master Noah smiled vaguely and placed his briefcase on the teacher's desk.

"Good afternoon," he said. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's lesson will be a practical one. You will need only your wands."

A few curious looks were exchanged as the class put away their books. It was highly unusual that teachers would have a practical lesson on their first day, unless you counted the memorable class last year when Annabel Crème unleashed a swarm of bats on them. Akko had a sense of foreboding; every practical lesson she had ever taken usually ended with her blowing up the classroom.

"Right then," said Master Noah, when everyone was ready. "If you'd follow me."

Puzzled but interested, the class got to its feet and followed Master Noah. He led them along the deserted corridor and around a corner, where the first thing they saw was Mr. Mxyzptlk, the imp from the fifth dimension, who was floating upside down in midair and stuffing the nearest keyhole with chewing gum.

Mxyz didn't look up until Master Noah was two feet away; then he wiggled his tiny feet and broke into song.

"Nutty, nutty Noah," Mr. Mxyzptlk sang. "Nutty, nutty Noah, nutty, nutty Noah – "

Rude and unmanageable as he almost was, Mxyz usually showed some respect toward the teachers. Everyone looked quickly at Master Noah to see how he would take this; to their surprise, he was still smiling.

"I'd take that gum out of the keyhole if I were you, Mxyz," he said pleasantly. "Miss Elma won't be able to get in to her brooms."

Elma was a dragon and the keeper of the castle. She was fairly easy to get along with as long as she didn't catch you breaking the rules. She considered Mxyz one of her arch-enemies as she was a guardian of Order and he was an imp that reveled in chaos. However, Mxyz paid no attention to Master Noah's words, except to blow a loud wet raspberry.

Master Noah gave a small sigh and reached under his cape to retrieve what looked like a water skin.

"Though not technically White Magic, I do find that a certain trick comes in handy against certain pests," he told the class over his shoulder. "Please watch closely."

He uncorked the water skin and suddenly waved his hand across the air in a slashing motion. With the force of a bullet, a quick stream of water shot out from the skin and splashed Mxyz to the wall before freezing instantly, turning the imp to a crystal sculpture. Mxyz's eyes moved around frantically and his shouts were muffled, but it didn't look like he could move.

"You're a waterbender!" Wendy shouted in surprise.

"A what?" Akko asked Diana.

"Bending is a type of magical martial arts that has existed since ancient China," Diana explained. "It was, in a basic sense, fighting techniques that manipulated the four natural elements. It died out in the 1800s during the Industrial Revolution when people started relying more on technology. These days, finding anyone that knows bending is very rare."

"Very good, Miss Cavendish," said Master Noah. "Now, shall we proceed?"

They set off again, the class looking Master Noah with increased respect. He led them down a second corridor and stopped, right outside the staffroom door.

"Inside, please," said Master Noah, opening it and standing back.

The staffroom, a long, paneled room full of dark, wooden chairs, was empty except for one teacher. Professor Finnelan was sitting at the table, reading a copy of Sorcerer Weekly, and she looked around as the class filed in. As Master Noah came in and made to close the door behind him, Professor Finnelan said, "Leave it open, Master. I'd rather not witness this."

She got to her feet and strode past the class. At the doorway, she turned on her heel and said, "Possibly no one warned you, Master, but this class contains Atsuko Kagari. I would advise you not to entrust her with anything difficult. I'd rather not have to explain to the other members of the faculty why the staffroom is in shambles."

Akko glared at Professor Finnelan; it was bad enough that she bullied Akko in her own classes, let alone doing it in front of other teachers.

Master Noah had raised his eyebrows.

"Well, that sounds like a bit of an exaggeration," he said, clapping Akko on the shoulder. "I'm sure that Miss Kagari is a perfectly capable witch. Maybe the real reason she has so much difficulty is because she hasn't had a good teacher yet."

Akko bit down on her bottom lip to keep herself from laughing; Professor Finnelan's face turned red with silent fury, but she left, slamming the door behind her.

"Now then," said Master Noah, beckoning the class toward the end of the room, where there was nothing but an old closet where the teachers kept their coats. As Master Noah went to stand next to it, the closet gave a sudden wobble, banging off the wall.

"Nothing to worry about," said Master Noah calmly because a few people had jumped backward in alarm. "There's a bogeyman in there."

That seemed like it was something worth worrying about. Akko may not have as much knowledge about the magical world as everyone else, but she certainly knew what a bogeyman was; even humans talked about it in terrified whispers. Lotte gave Master Noah a look of pure horror, and Nanoha Takamachi eyed the now rattling doorknob apprehensively.

"Bogeymen like dark, enclosed spaced," said Master Noah. "Closets, the gap beneath beds, the cupboard under the sink – I've even met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. _This_ one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the headmistress if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice.

"So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what _is_ a bogeyman?"

Wendy started to raise her hand, but shot a worried glance at Diana and then dropped it. Diana must have noticed this too because it took her a second longer to raise her own.

"It's a shapeshifter," she said. "It can take on the form of whatever it thinks will frighten us the most. They feed on terror – it is there source of energy – that is why they often pray on children because they are easier to frighten. They possess a natural sense to know the fears of those nearby even without seeing its target, allowing it to take on the necessary form instantaneously."

"Couldn't have put it better myself, Miss Cavendish," said Master Noah, and Diana glowed. "So the Bogeyman sitting in the darkness within has already sensed the fears of everyone in this room and it waiting to transform the moment it steps out of the closet. Nobody knows what a Bogeyman looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately became the fear of the person he sees first."

"But there is a trick to defeating it," said Master Noah, choosing to ignore Lotte's small sputter of terror. "Now think about it for a moment. The Bogeyman hides in the darkness waiting to pounce on its prey. Why is that? Why does the Bogeyman need to hide instead of confronting its target head-on? Have you spotted it, Miss Kagari?"

Trying to answer a question with Diana next to her, bobbing up and down on the balls of her feet with her hand in the air, was very off-putting, but Akko had a go.

"Er – because it's afraid of light. I remember when I was a kid that Human parents used to give their kids nightlights to keep the monsters away at night."

"Precisely," said Master Noah, and Diana put her hand down, looking a thoroughly disappointed. "The Bogeymen are creatures of shadow and smoke – they fear the light because it is their mortal enemy. It's harder to be afraid of something in a bright room than it would be in the unknown darkness.

"The technique I am about to teach you is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a Bogeyman is positive emotion; joy, laughter, anything of the sort. Gather up all the strong positive emotions in your hearts into your medium – in the case of you witches, that would be your wands – and release it in an explosion of light. If you feelings are strong enough, the light will hurt the Bogeyman and drive it back.

"We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please… _Lumen cordis_!"

" _Lumen cordis_!" said the class together.

"Good," said Master Noah. "Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. For the next step, I'll need a volunteer…. Miss Jansson, how about you?"

The wardrobe shook again, though not as much as Lotte, who walked forward as though she were heading for the gallows."

"Right, Miss Jansson," said Master Noah. "First things first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you the most in the world?"

Lotte's lips moved, but no noise came out.

"Didn't catch that, Miss Jansson, sorry," said Master Noah cheerfully.

Lotte looked around rather wildly, as though begging someone to help her, then said, in barely more than a whisper, "Professor Finnelan."

Nearly everyone laughed. Even Lotte grinned apologetically.

"Yes, yes, Anne," said Master Noah amusingly. "Sometimes she gives even me nightmares. Now, Miss Jansson…what is your happiest memory?"

"Um…my happiest memory," Lotte mumbled, closing her eyes in thought. "I think it was when I was six years old…some kids were picking on me because I was a Demi-Human…and then my granny would sing to make the spirits appear. They were always so pretty and funny, they always cheered me up when I was feeling down. And sometimes my granny and I would sing together…."

"Good, good, hold on to that memory," said Master Noah. "Can you picture that moment in your head clearly, Miss Jansson. Can you see it in your mind's eye?"

"Yes," said Lotte uncertainly, plainly wondering what was coming next.

"When the Bogeyman bursts out of this closet, Miss Jansson, and sees you, it will assume the form of Professor Finnelan," said Master Noah. "And you will raise your wand – thus – and cry ' _L_ _umen cordis_ ' – and concentrate hard on the memory of you and your grandmother singing. If all goes well, a great burst of light will come out of your wand and cause significant damage to Professor Bogey Finnelan.

"If Miss Jansson is successful, the Bogeyman is likely to shift his attention to each of us in turn. I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that frightens you the most, and the try to imagine what it is that makes your happy, whether it's a memory or an activity…."

The room went quiet. Akko thought…. What scared her most in the world?"

It couldn't have been Aradia because Akko had never even seen Aradia before and couldn't even imagine what she would look like. She thought very hard, her forehead crinkling until a horrible image suddenly came floating to the surface of her mind….

Deep blue veins crawling along pitch-black skin…antenna twitching so erratically…piercing gold eyes that peered into her heart…a long, rattling breath from an unseen mouth…then a cold so penetrating it felt like drowning….

Akko shivered, then looked around, hoping no one had noticed. Many people had their eyes shut tight. Sucy was muttering to himself, "so cold…so scaly…." Akko was sure she knew what that was about. Ironically enough, Sucy's greatest fear was snakes.

"Everyone ready?" said Master Noah.

Akko felt a lurch of fear. She wasn't ready. How could she focus on a happy thought with a Heartless looming over? But she didn't want to ask for more time; everyone else was nodding and rolling up their sleeves.

"Miss Jansson, we're going to back away," said Master Noah. "Let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward…. Everyone back, now, so Miss Jansson can get a clear shot – "

They all retreated, backed against the walls, leaving Lotte alone beside the closet. She looked pale and frightened, but she had pushed up the sleeve of her tunic and was holding her wand ready.

"On the count of three, Miss Jansson," said Master Noah, who was uncorking his water skin. "One – two – three – _now!_ "

A whip of water shot out from the opening in Master Noah's water skin and hit the doorknob. The closet burst open. Thin-lipped and menacing, Professor Finnelan stepped out, her eyes flashing at Lotte.

Lotte backed away, her wand up, mouthing wordlessly. Professor Finnelan was bearing down upon her, reaching inside her pocket.

" _L – L - Lumen cordis_!" squeaked Lotte.

There was a noise like a gunshot. A blinding flash of light filled the staffroom, driving everyone to cover their eyes behind their hands and sleeves. An inhuman shriek pierced their ears. When the light died down, Professor Finnelan was rolling around on the floor, flailing her arms as large, black-and-red burn appeared at her right hip.

There was a roar of cheers for Lotte; the Bogeyman paused, confused, and Master Noah shouted, "Kowata! Forward!"

Makoto walked forward, her face set. Professor Finnelan rounded on her. There was a crack like a whip, and where she stood was a massive dog with bulging red eyes and teeth the size of daggers; it turned its snout to Makoto and it began to walk toward her very slowly, drool spilling over its mouth, a menacing growl emitting from its throat –

" _Lumen cordis_!" cried Makoto.

The giant dog jumped back with a yelp, falling down to its stomach with its tail between its legs; a large burn mark appeared squarely between its eyes.

"Takamachi!" roared Master Noah.

Nanoha darted past Makoto.

 _Crack!_ Where the dog had been was a squat machine as tall at Nanoha with the body and legs of a crab, sharp blades like a pray mantis, and a single red eye. It scuttled back and forth across the staffroom, now weary of the students, slowly creeping up on Nanoha until –

" _Lumen cordis_!" shouted Nanoha.

The top of the crab machine exploded, exposing the circuits and wires inside; its legs buckled under its weight and twitched.

 _Crack!_ The machine turned into a rat, which chased its tail in a circle, then – _crack_! – became a giant worm, which slithered and withered before – _crack!_ – becoming a single, bloody eyeball.

"It's getting desperate!" shouted Master Noah. "We're weakening it! Marvell!"

Wendy hurried forward.

 _Crack!_ The eyeball had become a tall, dark-skinned man with one arm branded in elaborate tribal tattoos. Akko remembered seeing this man once before, last year when she was invited to the Dragon King Festival. What was his name again…?

" _Lumen cordis_!" yelled Wendy.

The dark-skinned man's remaining arm was blown off, leaving a massive burn where it had been.

"Excellent! Manbavaran, you next!"

Sucy glided forward.

 _Crack!_

Quite a few people screamed. A twenty-foot cobra coiled its body, raising itself near the ceiling, and leered down at Sucy, its massive fangs dripping with venom. For a moment, Akko thought Sucy had frozen. Then –

" _Lumen cordis_!" bellowed Sucy, and the cobra's head became severed from the rest of its body, rolling over and over on the floor; Makoto Kowata squealed and ran out of its way and it came to a halt at Akko's feet. She raised her wand, ready, but –

"Here!" shouted Master Noah suddenly, hurrying forward.

 _Crack!_

The bodiless serpent had vanished and instead there was a tall man, a hood thrown over his head and a bronze mask used to cover his face. The masked man reached out for Master Noah, who said, " _Lumen cordis_!" almost lazily.

The masked man lurched backward clutching his shoulder which had been burned.

"Forward, Miss Jansson, and finish him off!" said Master Noah.

 _Crack!_ Professor Finnelan was back. This time Lotte charged forward looking determined.

" _Lumen cordis_!" she shouted, and her wand burst open with a powerful light before the Bogeyman exploded, burst into a thousand tiny wisps of smoke, and was gone.

"Excellent!" cried Master Noah as the class broke into applause. "Excellent, Miss Jansson. Well done, everyone…. Let me see…five points for every person to tackle the Bogeyman – ten points for Miss Jansson because she did it twice…and five each to Miss Cavendish and Miss Kagari."

"But I didn't do anything," said Akko.

"You and Miss Cavendish answered my questions correctly at the start of the class, Miss Kagari," Master Noah said lightly. "Very well, everyone, an excellent lesson. Homework, kindly write an essay on simple cleansing spells and purification rituals…to be handed in on Monday. That will be all."

Talking excitedly, the class left the staffroom. Akko, however, wasn't feeling cheerful. Master Noah had deliberately stopped her from tackling the bogeyman. Why? Was it because he'd seen Akko collapse on the train, and though she wasn't up to it? Had he thought Akko would pass out again?

But no one else seemed to have noticed.

"Did you see me take that sentinel!" shouted Nanoha.

"And that dog!" said Makoto.

"Did you see the look on Finnelan's face? _Priceless_."

"I wonder who that man was that Master Noah is frightened of?" said Wendy thoughtfully.

"That was one of the best lessons we've ever had, wasn't it?" said Lotte excitedly as they made their way back to the classroom to get their bags.

"He seems like a very good teacher," said Jasminka approvingly. "But I wish I could have had a turn with the bogeyman – "

" _What would it have been for you?_ " said Stan-Bot as Constanze snickered. " _The cooks telling you they're out of snacks?_ "

* * *

 **Next chapter: The White Witch Cometh**


	8. The White Witch Cometh

**Akko Kagari and the White Witch**

 **Chapter Eight: The White Witch Cometh**

In no time at all, Basic White Magic had become most people's favorite class. Every lesson after was just as interesting as the first. After mastering the Pure Light spell, they moved on to basic healing spells on then kitchen goblins who had suffered burns and bruises while cooking; No one was surprised to see Diana using a healing spell more advanced than what they were learning to mend five goblins at once, but there was a bit of a sour moment when Wendy used an advanced Sky Magic spell to heal ten in one go. From healing spells they moved on to repairing magic, spells that could fix broken objects like an old shoe or a clock; Lotte summoned spirits as her preferred method and easily stood out as the best at it. The way Master Noah explained the technique was so simple that Akko, who generally failed when it came to the practical classes, was actually keeping up with the other students.

Akko only wished she was as happy with some of her other classes. Worst of all was Alchemy. Professor Finnelan was in a particularly vindictive mood these days, and no one was in any doubt why. After being verbally humiliated by Master Noah and the story of the Bogeyman assuming her form spreading through the school like wildfire, Professor Finnelan turned even nastier than usual towards the Polaris students. Her eyes flashed menacingly at the very mention of Master Noah's name, and she piled more homework on Akko and Lotte than anyone else.

Foretelling was growing to be an awkward and downright uncomfortable affair. Ursula did her job well and she made it interesting enough to capture the attention of the other students, but she seemed to be purposely avoiding Akko the entire time, making excuses to help someone else translate lopsided shapes and symbols like she was scared to confront her for some reason. This only made the class that much harder as Ursula almost seemed to outright refuse to help Akko with her predictions like the others, emphasizing that the future is not something that can be seen, which seemed to contradict the whole point of the class. The only bright spot was that Akko wasn't the only one having a bad time; Diana was equally failing the class, which only made her more temperamental.

Nobody really liked Study of Abnormal Creatures, which, after the action-packed first class, had become extremely dull. Professor Pisces seemed very subdued. They were now spending lesson after lesson learning how to look after tuber worms, which had to be some of the most boring creatures in existence.

"Why would anyone _bother_ looking after them?" said Amanda after yet another hour of poking shredded lettuce down the tuber worms' slimy throats.

At the start of October, however, Akko had something else to occupy her, something so enjoyable it more than made up for her unsatisfactory class. The Chariot Race season was approaching, and Amelia O'Neil, captain of the Polaris team, called a meeting one Thursday evening to discuss tactics for the new season.

Amelia O'Neill was Amanda's third oldest sister, a tall and slight masculine seventeen-year-old, now in her seventh and final year at Luna Nova. There was a quiet sort of desperation in her voice as she addressed her four fellow team members in the chilly locker rooms on the edge of the race track.

"This is our last chance – _my_ last chance – to win the Chariot Cup," she told them, striding up and down in front of them. "I'll be leaving at the end of this year. I'll never get another shot at it.

"Polaris hasn't won for seven years now. Okay, so we've had the worst luck in the world – injuries – then the tournament getting called off last year…." Amelia swallowed, as though the memory still brought a lump to her throat. "But we also know we've got the _best – damn – team – in – the – school_ ," She said, punching a fist into her other hand, the old manic glint back in her eye.

"Rajani, you are without a doubt the best spellcaster out there. Your shots have never missed."

Rajani beamed.

"Rashmi, you have studied and practiced on every course harder than anyone. There's not a thing that can throw you."

Rajani's twin, Rashmi, offered a cheerful salute.

"Avery, you have the best eyes I've ever seen on any racer. You can spot a ring or target miles before anyone else."

"Stop it, Amelia, you're embarrassing me," said Avery Buckland, pretending to blush.

"And Akko, you are the best anchor this school has had in a hundred years. One that has _never failed to win us a match!_ " Amelia rumbled, glaring at Akko with a kind of furious pride. "And me," she added as an afterthought.

"We think you're good too, Amelia," said Rajani.

"The best captain ever," said Rashmi.

"The point is," Amelia went on, resuming her pacing, "the Chariot Cup should have had our name on it these last two years. Ever since Akko and Shooting Star joined the team, I've thought the thing was in the bag. But we haven't got it, and this year's the last chance we'll get to finally see our name on the thing…."

Amelia spoke so dejectedly that even Avery looked sympathetic.

"Amelia, this is our year," said Avery.

"Definitely," said Akko.

Full of determination, the team started training sessions, three evenings a week. The weather was getting colder and wetter, the nights darker, but no amount of mud, wind, or rain could tarnish Akko's wonderful vision of finally winning the huge, gold Chariot Cup.

Akko returned to the Polaris common room one evening after training, cold and stiff but pleased with the way practice had gone, to find the room buzzing excitedly.

"What happened?" she asked Lotte, who was sitting with their usual group of friends at the table in the corner of the room, completing her essay for Annabel Crème's class.

"First Byltonbury weekend," said Lotte, pointing at a notice that had appeared on the battered old bulletin board. "End of October. Halloween."

"Excellent," said Rajani, who had followed Akko through the archway. "I need to visit Magic Shop Reon. I want to get something for Sola for her birthday in November."

Akko threw herself into a chair beside Lotte, her high spirits ebbing away. Jasminka seemed to read her mind.

"Akko, I'm sure you'll be able to go next time," she said positively. "They're bound to catch Izetta soon. She's been sighted once already."

"Izetta's not dumb like Akko, she wouldn't try anything in Blytonbury," said Amanda. "Ask Ursula if you can go this time, Akko. The next one might not be for ages – "

" _Amanda, no!_ " said Stan-Bot as Constanze crossed her arms. " _Akko's supposed to stay in school_ – "

"She can't be the only third year left behind," said Amanda. "Ask Ursula, go on, Akko – "

"Yeah, I think I will," said Akko, making up her mind.

Before anyone had a change to argue, Mikka the red fox came bounding up to their table, nudging Lotte with his nose. A large, dead rat was dangling from his mouth

"Ugh! Does he have to eat that in front of us?" Akko groaned.

"Hey, I was wondering where my test rat ran off to," said Sucy.

"Clever Mikka, did you catch that all by yourself," said Lotte.

Mikka slowly chewed up the rat, causing the girls to grimace and look away, except for Sucy, who was watching with morbid fascination.

Akko yawned. She really wanted to go to bed, but she still had her own essay to complete. She took the Shiny Rod from her belt and set it on the table before moving to take her copy of _Little Witch Academia_ along with a pen and paper.

"You can look at mine, if you want," said Lotte, ending the last sentence and pushing the paper toward Akko. "Though I wouldn't recommend copying it entirely or else Professor Crème will get suspicious."

Akko sighed in relief as she snapped her book shut and set it down next to the Shiny Rod…or at least where it should have been. She did a double take and realized that the Shiny Rod was gone. She looked around frantically until she noticed something slinking away out of the corner of her eye. She turned in her seat and saw Mikko walking away very slowly with the Shiny Rod glinting in its maw. The red fox stopped in mid-step when Akko noticed him, the two engaged in a brief staring contest, before Mikko turned and sprang over the carpet.

"CATCH THAT FOX!" Akko yelled as she leapt out of her seat and bound across the common room.

Avery Buckland made a lunge for Mikko, but missed; he streaked through twenty pairs of legs and made his way to the stairway to the dormitories when Jasminka suddenly dived in front, blocking the way. Mikko tried to double back, but found his escape route blocked over by a swarm of Stan-Bots. Then Amanda, who was the fastest among them, zipped up behind Mikko and grabbed the red fox by his nape, dangling him high above the ground.

Akko and Lotte hurried over; Lotte grabbed Mikko around the middle and heaved him up; Akko grabbed both ends of the Shiny Rod and had to play a game of tug-o'-war with him before she pried the staff out of his mouth; excess amounts of salivation all over the metal.

"EW!" Akko whined. "Aw, Lotte, he got drool all over it!"

"I'm so sorry, Akko," said Lotte apologetically. "He's never acted like that before. Bad, Mikko! You're going in time-out!" she wagged her finger at the red fox, whose ears flatted against his head.

"Ugh, and I thought Arcas was bad," Akko grimaced. "Guess I won't have time for homework after all."

Lotte carried Mikko upstairs to their dormitory for his reprimanding while Akko went back to the table, holding the Shiny Rod by the tip so as not to touch the fox saliva. She reached inside her bag and pulled out her sweat towel from practice, wiping off her precious staff. She wiped away the majority of the saliva off the base of the rod before focusing her attention on the three Stars –

Akko paused in the middle of her cleaning, rewinding her thoughts. Three? That can't be right.

She looked over the Shiny Rod again. The Star of Energy and the Star of Destruction were in their places on the first two slots of the staff, but near the bottom of the Rod, in the fifth slot, was another soft-green, marble-like jewel. The third Star of Arcturus!

"What the - ?" Akko sputtered. "How can…? Wait…was it…?"

Akko slowly turned her head toward the staircase leading to the dormitories…. She always suspected he was smarter than he looked….

* * *

Akko shared her new discover along with her theory of how the Star of Arcturus got there to Lotte and Sucy during Herbalism class the next day when they were working together on the same Puffer Plant.

"You think Mikko put the Star in the Shiny Rod?" Lotte asked quietly as they stripped the poison tipped barbs from the plants and emptied them into a wooden pail.

"All I know is that it wasn't there before Mikko took it last night," said Akko. "But what I can't figure out is where he could have gotten it. I mean, I thought the only people who had it were my mom's old group."

"Blair is a part of that old group," said Sucy, who was secretly slipping the barbs into her cloak. "Maybe that sneaky little fox stole it from her and thought you should have it."

"If that's true, it might not be a good idea to show her the Shiny Rod for a while; she'll probably say I'm not ready and take it away," said Akko, missing the barbs completely and cutting the plant directly.

"Pay attention to your work, Atsuko Kagari!" cried Professor Cosmos as the plant started shooting its barbs everywhere in the greenhouse in self-defense.

They had Magic Astrology next. Akko, who had resolved to ask Ursula after the lesson whether she could go into Blytonbury with the rest, joined the line outside the class trying to decide how she was going argue her case. She was distracted, however, by a disturbance at the front of the line.

Makoto Kowata seemed to be crying. Zizi Delevingne had her arm around her and was explaining something to Nanoha and Wendy, who were looking very serious.

"What's the matter, Makoto?" asked Akko as she and the others went to join the group.

"She got a letter from home this morning," Zizi whispered. "It's her cat, Chito. She's got run over by a car."

"Oh," said Akko, "I'm so sorry, Makoto."

"I should have known!" said Makoto tragically. "You know what day it is?"

"Er – "

"The sixteenth of October! 'The thing you are worried about, it will happen on the sixteenth of October!' Remember? She was right, she was right!"

The whole class was gathered around Makoto now. Nanoha shook her head seriously. Diana hesitated; then she said, "You – you were dreading Chito being run over by a car?"

"Well, not necessarily killed by a _car_ ," said Makoto, looking up at Diana with streaming eyes, "but I was _obviously_ dreading her dying, wasn't I?"

"Oh," said Diana. She paused again. Then – "Was Chito an _old_ cat?"

"S-she was a witch's cat!" sobbed Makoto. "She could live for a hundred years. She was only seventeen!"

Zizi tightened her arm around Makoto's shoulders.

"But then, why would you be worried about her dying?" said Diana.

Zizi glared.

"Well, look at it logically," said Diana, turning to the rest of the group. "I mean, Chito didn't even die today, did she? Makoto just got the news today – " Makoto wailed loudly. " – and she _can't_ have been worried about it, because it comes as a real shock – "

"You know, you could stand to be a little more sympathetic about other people's pain," said Amanda, barring her teeth furiously, "instead of trying to prove you're right all the time, jackass."

Ursula opened the classroom door at that moment, which was perhaps lucky; Diana and Amanda were glaring daggers at each other, and when they got into class, they seated themselves on opposite ends of the room. Makoto had been excused from class, offering to take her to the hospital wing to find something that would calm her down. This gave Akko a little more time to think about what she was going to say to Ursula. At least in Magic Astrology, Ursula was a little more attentive to Akko's needs than she was in Foretelling, which seemed a little strange when she thought about it, but she had more pressing issues to think about.

When the bell rang at the end of the lesson, it was Ursula who brought up the subject of Blytonbury first.

"One moment, please!" she called as the class made to leave. "Anyone that is in my House should hand in their Blytonbury permission forms before Halloween. No form, no visiting the town, so don't forget!"

"Ask her now," Amanda hissed at Akko.

" _But –_ " Stan-Bot began.

"Go for it, Akko," said Amanda stubbornly.

Akko waited for the rest of the class to disappear, then headed nervously for Ursula's desk.

"Oh, can I help with something, Akko?"

Akko took a deep breath.

"Professor, my mom and dad – er – forgot to sign my form," she said.

Ursula looked over her glasses at her, but didn't say anything

"So – er – do you think it would be right – I mean, will it be okay if I – if I got to go to Blytonbury?"

Ursula looked down and began shuffling papers on her desk.

"I'm afraid not, Akko," she said. "You heard what I said. No form, no visiting the town. That's the rule."

"But – Professor if you say I could go – "

"But I don't say so," said Ursula, standing up and piling papers nearly into a drawer. "The form clearly states that the parent or guardian must give permission," She turned to look at her, a look of pity expressive in her red eyes. "Look, Akko, I understand that you feel disappointed and upset, but after your close encounter with Izetta and the recent reports about her, I just don't think it's safe for you. Blair already told me you overheard her and the Headmistress talking, so you understand why we're concerned. I'm sorry, Akko, but that's my final word. You had better hurry, or you'll be late for your next lesson."

* * *

There was nothing to be done. Amanda called Ursula a lot of names that greatly annoyed Diana; Diana assumed an "all-for-the-best" expression that made Amanda even angrier, and Akko had to endure everyone in class talking loudly and happily about what they were going to do first, once they get into Blytonbury.

"There's always the feast," said Lotte, in an effort to cheer Akko up. "You know, the Halloween feast, in the evening. You get to dress up as Shiny Chariot again."

"Yeah," said Akko gloomily, "great."

The Halloween feast was always good, even though Akko only attended once, but it would taste a lot better if she was coming to it after a day in Blytonbury with everyone else. Nothing anyone said made her feel any better about being left behind. Amanda, the best thief and delinquent in the school, had offered to forge her parent's signatures on the form, but as Akko had already told Ursula she hadn't had it signed, that was no good. Jasminka halfheartedly suggested the Ring of Gyges, which had the power to turn its wearer and anyone they touched invisible, but Constanze stamped on that one, reminding everyone what Professor Holbrooke had told them about the Heartless being able to see through them. Wangari from Corona had what were possibly the least helpful words of comfort.

"They make a big deal about Blytonbury, but I promise you, Akko, it's not all it's cracked up to be," she said. "All right, Ama Usa An is a pretty great sweet shop, the Rabbit House and Fluer de Lapin are pretty great places to stop for lunch, and yes, the Woodward Forest is a pretty major attraction, but really, Akko, apart from that, you're not missing anything."

* * *

On Halloween morning, Akko awoke with the rest and went down to breakfast, feeling thoroughly depressed, though doing her best to act normally.

"We'll bring you lots of sweets back from Ama Usa An," said Amanda, looking desperately sorry for her.

"Yeah, loads," said Diana. She and Amanda had finally forgotten their little squabble about Ursula's predictions in the face of Akko's difficulties.

"Don't worry about me," said Akko, in what she hoped was an offhand voice. "I'll see you at the feast. Have a good time."

She accompanied them to the entrance hall, where Elma, the keeper of the castle, was standing inside the front doors, checking off names against the long list, peering suspiciously into every face, and making sure that no one was sneaking out who shouldn't be going.

After seeing her friends off, Akko made her solitary way up the spiraling staircase, through the deserted corridors, where she came across Annabel Crème carrying a heavy-looking stack of books.

"Oh, oh, a little help here, Akko," said Annabel Crème, looking ready to tip over at any moment. Akko came over quickly and took half the books into her arms. "Whooo…thanks for that."

"No problem, professor," said Akko, looking over the titles. " _Floating Building for Beginnings, The History of Magic Festivals –_ you're not throwing some crazy party in the school, are you? You're probably gonna need Professor Holbrooke's permission for that."

"No, this is reference material," said Annabel Crème, chuckling. "For the sequel of my book. I'm calling it _Little Witch Academia: Enchanted Parade_. So, what're you doing here, Akko. I thought you would be at Blytonbury with everyone else."

"I didn't get permission to go," Akko mumbled miserably.

"Oh, that's too bad," said Annabel Crème as they reached her office. "Just set that stuff on my desk, would you please, Akko. Thank you" – she heaved the heavy stack on her desk, which was already piled high with papers. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I don't get to go either. My ma – I mean, my publisher wants the first draft of the first chapter by Monday. So – and don't take this personally, Akko – would you mind leaving me alone to work?"

"Yeah, sure, no problem," said Akko.

After that, she walked out of the office, peeking inside one last time to see Annabel jump straight into her writing, before snapping the door shut behind her.

Akko wandered dispiritedly toward Polaris Tower, but halfway there she changed her mind; she didn't feel like being the only upperclassman among a bunch of first and second years. She turned around and came face-to-face with Elma, who had obviously just seen off the last of the Blytonbury visitors.

"What are you doing?" said Elma suspiciously.

"Nothing," said Akko truthfully.

"Nothing?" Elma repeated with a raised brow. "Seems a little strange, given your track record. Why aren't you at Blytonbury with your friends?"

"Not allowed to go," Akko said for what must have been the hundredth time. Suddenly, a thought came to her. "Hey, Elma, do you think I could take Shooting Star out for a ride. It's boring being stuck here alone in the castle."

"Sorry, Akko, but you know the rules," said Elma, shaking her head. "You're only allowed to ride it during practices and races. Now, why don't you get back to your common room before you get in trouble…which seems inevitable, given who I'm talking to."

But Akko didn't go back to the common room; she climbed a staircase, thinking vaguely of hunting down Blair, who usually liked to sunbath near the eastern wing, and was walking along another corridor when a voice from inside one of the rooms said, "Akko?"

Akko doubled back to see who had spoken and met Croix, looking around her office door, dressed in casual clothing with a pair of goggles hanging around her neck.

"What are you doing here?" said Croix in a very similar voice to Elma. "Where are Lotte and your friends?"

"Blytonbury," said Akko, in a would-be casual voice.

"Ah," said Croix. She considered Akko for a moment. "Why don't you come in? I've just finished the prototype for my latest project."

Akko was more than a little apprehensive. She knew too well the kinds of things Croix liked to experiment with that wouldn't technically be considered legal, including techno-organic monsters living in the forest and a deadly mind controlling plague.

But, having nothing else to do for the day, she followed Croix into her office anyway. It was just as messy as when Akko saw it last year: cluttered with computer monitors and towers, tangles of wires covering nearly every inch of the floor, and blueprints of all sorts of inventions hanging off the walls. In the corner of the office on top of Croix's workbench was what looked like some type of harness connected to all sorts of complicated devices that Akko knew she shouldn't touch.

"I call it a Chronal Accelerator," said Croix, admiring the device thoughtfully.

"Isn't that the thing that Mxyz dropped on top of Elma's office last year?" asked Akko.

"Yeah, and I remember Blair being the one to suggest it," said Croix, frowning.

"So what does it do?" said Akko curiously.

"I'm sure you of all people did something you wish you could take back," said Croix, gesturing her arms in a dramatic flair. "This device can do just that. It can fold and bend time, reversing it to the point that you wish to correct. An instant re-do. Imagine if all the mistakes we made in the past – the Chernobyl meltdown, the Hindenburg, the American elections – were corrected. We could literally change the world for the better."

"Or it could fall into the hands of a power-hungry madman that could twist time so that he could rule the world," said Akko dryly.

"Yeah, well, there's that, too," said Croix, waving her hand nonchalantly. "Don't worry, it's not likely to start working any time soon. It's still in the middle of the preliminary testing. The problem is I don't have a suitable power source to fuel it. The resources I'm using now require a constant recharge and can only go back a few hours. The kind of energy needed to turn back time for even a day would require enough power equal or greater than that of the sun."

"So, no going back to the Jurassic era, huh?" said Akko teasingly.

"Nope, not in this lifetime, anyway," said Croix, bouncing away from the workbench to a lone microwave. "Cup of tea? I was just thinking of making some."

"Er…no thanks," said Akko with a grimace; she couldn't understand how Croix could like microwavable tea.

"Yeah, I guess you wouldn't," said Croix, putting her own cup inside and punching the button. "I think you've already had enough of tea leaves from what Professor Ursula tells me."

"She's been acting weird around me lately," said Akko as the microwave _dinged_ and Croix took out the steaming mug. "Ever since that first class when she saw that fox in my teacup."

"That's just because she's concerned," said Croix, taking a sip of her tea; Akko scrunched her face in disgust. "Ursula claims that she doesn't believe that the future can be predicted, but the truth is that Ursula is a firm believer of prophecy, because it was prophecy that led to your birth, Akko."

"The one made by the Great Witch Jennifer?" said Akko. "I heard about it from one of my classmates."

"Yes, that one," said Croix. "Hundreds of years ago, the Great Witch Jennifer left behind a series of books called the Gospels of Aradia. These predictions were so accurate that after the Great Witch Jennifer had passed away, they were worshiped as a type of holy bibles or something similar."

"So that's why Aradia chose her name," said Akko. "Because she was a follower of Jennifer."

"Perhaps the main reason, yes," said Croix, nodding solemnly. "There were three books in total: The Book of Dawn, the Book of Midday, and the Book of Dusk. The first book – the Book of Dawn – was written specifically about the coming of the New Golden Age of Magic and the birth of the Star-Born Child, which is you. Chariot Du Nord was the owner of the Book of Dawn, having been passed down through her family for generations."

"Where's the book now?" asked Akko.

"Burned," said Croix. "Once the prophecy had been carried out, the book destroyed itself, having completed its task."

"And what about the other two books?" asked Akko. "The ones that came after that one."

"No one knows," said Croix, taking another sip of her tea. "But there's no point in worry about what we don't know. Instead of getting worked up about the past or the future, let's talk about something in the present, like whatever's bothering you."

"What?" Akko said, taken aback. "There's nothing bothering me."

"That's not what Master Noah told me," said Croix, walking over to Akko and leaning against her workbench. "He said you looked upset ever since your first class. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"No," Akko lied. "Well…maybe…. Did Master Noah tell you about that day we fought the Bogeyman?"

"I'm pretty sure everyone in the school knows about that," said Croix with an amused chuckle. "Finnelan still goes red in the face when the other teachers bring it up."

"Do you know why he wouldn't let me fight it?" said Akko abruptly.

Croix raised her eyebrows.

"I thought that would have been obvious, Akko," she said, sounding surprised.

Akko, who had expected Croix to deny that Master Noah had done any such thing, was taken aback.

"Why?" she said again.

"Akko," said Croix with a deep sigh. "You have been faced with more horrors in your last two years of school than most men have seen in their entire lives. What with Arcas, the Titan, the Fuel Spirit Beasts lurking in the Arcturus Forest, and Eveline on top of it all, you could understand why we were hesitant to allow you to face a beast that could take the form of the worst creatures on the planet. When Master Noah informed the staff about his plans for the Bogeyman, Ursula made it very clear that you were not to face the Bogeyman, lest it grows too strong on the fears of the students and becomes uncontainable."

"Professor Ursula again…," Akko mumbled. "First Foretelling, then Byltonbury, and now this. Who does she think she is? My mom?

Croix made a nervous sort of chuckle, which Akko didn't notice, cleared her throat, and said, "She's only looking out for you, Akko. She may come off as overprotective, but she's only looking out for your well being. You're a very important person to her, Akko."

"Well, she doesn't need to," grumbled Akko, crossing her arms in a pout. "I wasn't even thinking about any of those things. I – I remembered those Heartless."

"Aah, I see," said Croix thoughtfully. "Well, well…I'm impressed." She smiled slightly at the look of surprise on Akko's face. "That suggest that what you fear most of all is the unknown the lurks in the darkness. Very wise, Akko."

Akko didn't know what to say to that, so she stayed silent and waited.

"So you've been thinking that Master Noah didn't believe you were capable of fighting the Bogeyman?" said Croix shrewdly.

"Well…yeah," said Akko. She was suddenly feeling a lot happier. "Professor Croix, you know the Heartless – "

She was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in," called Croix.

The door opened, and in came Ursula. She was holding her right arm like it was hurting, her fingers twitching subtly, and stopped at the sight of Akko, her eyes wide in surprise.

"Hey, Ursula," said Croix, smiling. "I was just showing off my latest project to Akko."

"You mean the one that will let you screw with time and super intelligent monkeys will rule the future," said Ursula with a grimace.

"I knew it was a bad idea to let you see that Planet of the Apes movie," said Croix in annoyance, setting her microwaved tea down and pushing off the workbench. "Just take a seat somewhere. I'll get everything set up."

Ursula stepped carefully over the floor of wires and sat down on one of the computer towers as Croix moved to a small refrigerator in the corner of the room.

"How are you doing today, Akko?" Ursula tried to smile at her, but it came out awkward as her face contorted with a brief flash of pain. "I hope you're not too upset about not getting to go to Blytonbury."

"Uh…I – I doing okay now," said Akko, feeling worried. "Are – are you okay, Professor Ursula?"

"She will be in a minute," said Professor Croix, coming back with a jet injector. "Just finished the chilling process this morning. Hold out your arm, Ursula."

Ursula did as she was told, holding her arm out straight and folding back the sleeve of her robe. Akko clapped her hands over her mouth to contain her gasp. Crawling across the pale flesh of Ursula's arms was a mess of bluish-purple veins, throbbing like a heartbeat and looked extremely painful if Ursula's expression was anything to go by. Croix inserted a crystal-blue liquid into the injector and pressed the head into Ursula's forearm. There was a soft _hiss_ and the injector drained the liquid inside Ursula's arm. The results were instantaneous: the bluish-purple veins receded backwards up Ursula's arm and out of sight; relief washed over the professor's face.

"That's the last batch for this month," said Croix, taking the injector away. "I'll have the next batch ready by next week. Until then, keep taking your suppressants."

"Thank you, Croix," said Ursula gratefully.

"Um…," said Akko, concerned they had forgotten she was there. "Why…what did you just do? Is Professor Ursula okay?"

"I've been…sick for a long time now," said Professor Ursula, her gaze lowering. "Professor Croix's medicine helps alleviate the symptoms."

"Are…are you going to get better?" asked Akko with a feeling the worry welling up in her stomach.

"I…honestly don't know…," said Ursula, slowly standing to her feet with Croix's help. "Well, Akko, I should be getting back to work. I'll see you at the feast later."

"Right," Akko mumbled.

She stood rooted to her spot as Ursula leaned against Croix and the both of them stumbled out of the office, closing the door behind them.

* * *

"There you go," said Jasminka. "We got as much as we could carry."

A shower of brilliantly colored sweets fell into Akko's lap. It was dusk, and Akko's friends had just turned up in the common room, pink-faced from the cold wind and looking as though they'd had the time of their lives.

"Thanks," said Akko, picking up a packet of chestnut jelly cakes. "What's Blytonbury like? Where did you go?"

By the sound of it – everywhere. Magic Shop Reon, a supermarket version of Lotte's family shop, the Shiny Ray Dress Shop, a Blytonbury branch of the market chain owned by Amanda's second oldest sister, Alexia, into the Rabbit House for steaming cups of coffee, and many places besides.

" _The engineering shop, Akko! Professor Croix's magitronics are amazing, but the Intelligent Devices they make there are on a completely different level! I saw Nanoha, Fate, and Hayate walk in there and they seemed to know what they were doing. I need to ask sometime…._ "

"Ama Usa An had got a new type of fudge; they were giving out free samples, there's a bit, look – "

"I'm pretty sure we saw a Basilisk at the Rabbit House – I didn't wanna risk a look – "

"Wish we could have brought you some coffee, really warms you up – "

"What did you do?" said Lotte, looking anxious. "Did you get any work done?

"No," said Akko, suddenly feeling gloomy all over again. "Croix let me into her office to check out her new project. And then Ursula came in…."

She told them everything she had seen. Amanda's mouth fell open.

"Professor Ursula is _sick_?" she gasped. "Is she gonna be okay?"

"They don't know," said Akko in a low tone.

Sucy checked her watch.

"We'd better go down to the feast. It'll be starting in five minutes…." They hurried through the archway and into the crowd, still discussing Ursula.

"But if Professor Ursula is sick," said Lotte, dropping her voice, glancing nervously around – "then the reason she's going to Professor Croix is because she might have _some_ idea how to cure it, right?"

"Maybe," Akko mumbled uncertainly as they reached the entrance hall and crossed into the dining hall. It had been decorated with hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins courtesy of Blair, a cloud of fluttering live bats, and many flaming orange streamers, which were swimming lazily across the ceiling like brilliant water snakes. Like every Halloween at Luna Nova, the students and teachers dressed up in costumes for the occasion; Akko, once again, went as Shiny Chariot.

The food was delicious; even Amanda and Constanze, who were full to bursting with Ama Ua An sweets, managed second helpings of everything. Akko kept glancing around the room Ursula looked cheerful and as well as she ever did; she was talking animatedly to Professor Kowata, Makoto's older sister and charms teacher. Oddly enough, when she looked for the members of the staff, she couldn't find Master Noah anywhere. Was he still in his office? Or maybe he was running late?

The feast finished with entertainment provided by Annabel Crème and Elma. They performed a dance about the Dragon Girl of Manoyama with Annabel Crème telling the story while Elma gracefully glided across the dining hall, showering the students with colorful bursts of magic.

It had been such a pleasant evening that Akko had completely forgotten about Ursula's illness. She had her friends were leading the rest of the Polaris students along the usual path to Polaris Tower.

"Who knew Elma could dance like that," said Amanda, grinning to herself. "I wonder if she could teach…nah."

Akko was one of the few people that knew Amanda loved to dance more than she loved magic; it wouldn't surprise her if Amanda secretly went to Elma's office from now on for a few lessons.

But as they turned the corner on the third floor, they heard a loud grunting noise and suddenly Master Noah was thrown through an open door. His back hit the wall on the opposite side hard and dropped to his knees, wincing as he held his shoulder.

"Master Noah!" cried Lotte. "Master Noah, are you - ?"

"Stay back!" yelled Master Noah. "Get away from here! She's dangerous!"

Akko opened her mouth to ask who he was referring to, but her answer calmly stepped out of the office and into the corridor. A petrified silence fell over the crowd, from the front first, so that a chill seemed to spread down the corridor. Akko took a step back and nearly tripped over herself, but was thankfully caught by Jasminka. She couldn't believe it, but standing there in the middle of the hall, less than a few feet away from her, was Izetta the White Witch.

It had been a little more than two months since she had seen Izetta that dark night in Nabeshima Shoto Park; her skin was no longer clinging to her bones as if she had a few decent meals in that time and she had washed and cut her red hair to frame her face. If it wasn't for the fact that she was an escaped criminal, Akko would have thought she was cute.

Izetta stopped a short way from Master Noah when she seemed to notice the Polaris students out of the corner of her eye. She slowly craned her head toward them; everyone took a unified step backward, but did not run out of fear. Her eyes roamed over the faces of each of the students until they landed squarely on Akko, who was reaching for the Shiny Rod on her belt, her hands trembling. Izetta slowly raised her hand –

"Over here!"

Master Noah lashed out at Izetta with a water whip while her attention was on the students, but Izetta casually dissolved the water with a flick of her wrist, not even looking at Master Noah. When her attention finally returned to the White Mage, Izetta thrust her hand in the air and Master Noah found himself pressed against the wall like he was being pinned down by some invisible force. Izetta kept the young master in place with one hand while her other hand summoned a ball of what looked like pure magical energy. She pulled her hand back –

"Let me through, please," came Ursula's voice, and she came bustling impatiently through the crowd. "Why is everyone standing around in the middle of the corridor? You all couldn't have forgotten the way to the common room, have you? Excuse me, what is going – "

She reached the front of the crowd next to Akko and paused. Ursula locked eyes with Izetta and time seemed to freeze around them. For what seemed like hours, both were locked in a staring contest with neither one backing down. Then, Akko noticed, Ursula slowly and subtly started reaching for her wand, but Izetta beat her to the punch. She slammed the ball of magical energy into the floor and it created a huge explosion that filled the corridor with smoke.

The students could be heard coughing and sputtering in the fog, but then Ursula waved her wand around in the air and the smoke seemed to evaporate into nothingness. When they looked down the corridor again, Master Noah was slumped against the wall and Izetta was nowhere to be seen. Ursula look one quick look around and turned, her eyes somber, to Akko and the others.

"Miss O'Neill, Miss Antonenko, Miss Albrechtsberger," said Ursula, "please help Master Noah to the hospital wing, tell Porlyusica what happened. Miss Jandson, Miss Manbavaran, please head down to the headmistress's office and inform her; I will join you shortly. Everyone else, back to the Dining Hall at once! I don't want to hear any complaining and I don't want anyone running off on their own. Luna Nova Academy is now in a state of emergency!"

The corridor was alive with activity once more; Amanda, Jasminka, and Constanze were rushing over to Master Noah, picking him up on his feet, while Lotte and Sucy ran through a tapestry into a hidden passageway that served as a shortcut to the Headmistress's office. The rest of the class was shepherded back downstairs; Ursula grabbed Akko's arm and held her firmly as if fearing she might try to run off. For the first time, Akko didn't mind the overprotectiveness, her mind was clouded with thoughts.

Izetta had gotten through the Heartless and broke into the castle without anyone noticing. Luna Nova – and Akko – were no longer safe.

* * *

 **A lot of info dumping in this chapter, but most of them aren't relevant in this book; they will be in future stories. And I figured Izetta making a physical appearance rather than just cutting up some painting would give a more real sense of how dangerous the situation is, especially when she effortlessly takes out one of the teachers.**

 **Next Chapter: The Fading Star**


	9. The Fading Star

**Akko Kagari and the White Witch**

 **Chapter Nine: The Fading Star**

All the Polaris students went back to the Dining Hall, where they were joined ten minutes later by the students of Lunar, Corona, Twilight, and Eclipse, who all looked extremely confused.

"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Professor Holbrooke told them as Professor Finnelan and Professor Kowata closed all the doors into the hall. "I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I will be leaving Elma in charge and the staff workers standing guard over the entrances to the hall. Any disturbances should be reported to me immediately," she added to Elma, who had summoned her trident with a battle-ready look in her eyes. "Send word with one of the fairies."

Professor Holbrooke paused, about to leave the hall, and said, "Oh, yes, you'll be needing…"

One casual wave of her hands and all the mismatched tables and chairs flew to the edges of the hall and stacked themselves against the walls; another wave, and the floor was covered with hundreds of squashy green sleeping bags.

"Sleep well," said Professor Holbrooke, closing the doors behind her.

The hall immediately began to buzz excitedly; the Polaris students were telling the rest of the school what had just happened.

"Everyone into their sleeping bags!" shouted Elma. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"

"C'mon," Akko said to hers, Amanda's and Diana's groups; they seized nine sleeping bags and dragged them into a corner.

"Do you think Izetta's still in the castle?" Hannah whispered anxiously.

"Professor Holbrooke obviously thinks she might be," said Barbara.

"It's very lucky she picked tonight, you know," said Diana as they climbed fully clothed into their sleeping bags and propped themselves on their elbows to talk. "The one night you all weren't in the tower…."

"I bet she's lost track of time, being on the run," said Sucy. "Didn't realize it was Halloween. Otherwise she'd have come straight for the dining hall."

Hannah shuddered.

All around them, people were asking one another the same question: " _How did she get in_?"

"Maybe she know how to use the Corridors of Darkness," said a Lunar student a few feet away. "That's, like, evil magic, you know. Opening dark portals between realities."

"Maybe she flew in," said an Eclipse fifth year.

"I'll bet she disguised herself as someone's pet and snuck her way in with the students," said Hayate Yagami from Twilight.

"Honestly, do they really believe any of that would work?" said Barbara, scoffing. "The castle is protected by more than _walls_ , you know. There are all sorts of enchantments on it, to stop people entering by stealth. You can't simply _fly_ into Luna Nova Academy unless you go through the Ley Line Terminal, and all of them are guarded by the Heartless twenty-four-seven. The Corridors of Darkness _could_ get you through the boundary, but they cross through the Realm of Darkness, which is the Heartless's territory, so it's the same situation as the terminals. And what kind of an idiot would find a pet and not know if it was a dangerous criminal?"

"Oh, there you are, Mikko," said Lotte as the red fox joined them with Blair and Diana's snake, Ophiuchus; Sucy rolled her sleeping bag as far away from her. "I was wandering where you'd wandered off to."

"The Lights are going out now!" Elma shouted. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!"

The lamps all went out at once. The only light came from the few fairies that were drifting across the ceiling like colorful stars in the night sky. Elma could be heard talking seriously with the sentries and the various magical creatures on staff. With that, and the whispering that still filled the hall, Akko felt as though she were sleeping outdoors in a light wind.

Once every hour, a teacher would reappear in the hall to check that everything was quiet. Around three in the morning, when many students had finally fallen asleep, Professor Holbrooke came in. Akko watched her looking around for Elma, who had been prowling between sleeping bags, telling people off for talking. Elma was only a short way from Akko's group, who quickly pretended to be asleep as Professor Holbrooke's footsteps drew closer.

"Any sign of her, Headmistress?" asked Elma in a whisper.

"No. All well here?"

"Everything is under control here, ma'am."

"Good. There's no point moving them all now. We'll moving them back to their dormitories first thing in the morning."

"And Master Noah, ma'am?"

"A little banged up, but nothing that Porlyusica can't mend. According to the master, Izetta walked into his office while he was grading papers and confronted him directly. She didn't offer up any explanation as to why, but I do have a few theories."

Akko heard the door of the hall creak open again, and more footsteps.

"Headmistress?" It was Professor Finnelan. Akko kept quite still, listening hard. "The whole of the third floor has been searched. She's not there. And Professor Hex has finished in the dungeons; nothing there either?"

"What about the Astronomy tower? The Foretelling classroom? The kitchens?"

"All searched…"

"Very well, Anne. I didn't really expect Izetta to linger."

"Have you any theory as to how she got in, Headmistress?" asked Professor Finnelan.

Akko raised her head very slightly off her arms to free her other ear.

"Many, Anne, each of them as unlikely as the next."

Akko opened her eyes a fraction and squinted up to where they stood; Professor Holbrooke's back was to her, but she could see Elma's face, her brow creased with thought, and Professor Finenlan's profile, which looked angry.

"You remember the conversation we had, Headmistress, just before – ah – the start of term?" said Professor Finnelan, who was barely opening her lips, as though trying to block Elma out of the conversation.

"I do, Anne," said Professor Holbrooke, and there was something like a warning in her voice.

"It seems – almost impossible – that Izetta could have entered the school without inside help. I did expression my concerns at the start of the year about – "

"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Izetta enter it," said Professor Holbrooke, and her tone made it so clear that the subject was closed that Professor Finnelan didn't reply. "I must go down to the Heartless. I said I would inform them when our search was complete."

"Didn't they want to help, ma'am," said Elma.

"Oh yes," said Professor Holbrooke coldly. "But I'm afraid no Heartless will cross the threshold of this castle while I am headmistress."

Elma looked slightly abashed. Professor Holbrooke left the hall, walking quickly and quietly. Professor Finnelan stood for a moment, watching the headmistress with an expression of deep resentment on her face; then she too left.

Akko glanced sideways at Diana and Amanda. Both of them had their eyes open too, reflecting the light of the passing fairies.

"What was that all about?" Amanda mouthed.

* * *

The school talked of nothing but Izetta for the next few days. The theories about how she had entered the castle became wilder and wilder; Chloe Dubois, from Twilight, spent much of their time in their next Magical Literature class telling anyone who'd listen that Izetta could turn into a flowering shrub.

Akko, however, had other things to worry about than crazy plant theories. She was now being closely watched. Teachers found excuses to walk along corridors with her, and Blair (acting, Akko suspected, on Ursula's orders) was tailing her everywhere like an extremely flexible watch dog. To cap it all, Professor Ursula summoned Akko into her office, with such a somber expression on her face Akko thought someone must have died.

"There's no point in beating around the bush any longer, Akko," she said in a very serious voice. "You already know that Izetta is after you, and last night makes this the second time you've encountered her. The Magic Council is extremely upset with this latest news, and are insisting that they assign a personal guard for you – "

"I don't need someone following me around everywhere," said Akko agitatedly. "You already have Blair watching my every move, even in the shower. Besides, don't you think that would kind of giveaway that I'm the Star-Born Child? No one is supposed to know about that."

"And that's exactly the argument I made to the Magic Council," said Ursula. "The Star-Born Child is a closely guarded secret; a detailed watch over you would just make you stand out even more than you already have. They agreed to back down on the condition that we station more Heartless around the boarders. In any case, the reason I called you here, Akko, is because I don't think it's a good idea for you to be practicing Chariot Racing in the evenings. Out on the field with only your team members, it's very exposed, Akko – "

"We've got our first match on Sunday!" said Akko, outraged. "I've got to train, Professor! We finally have a chance to win the cup!"

"I would think you'd value your life over a piece of tin and paint," said Ursula with a hardened stare. "I'm sorry, Akko, but I just don't feel comfortable leaving you out in the open where Izetta could attack you at any moment – "

"Professor, please, you have to let me practice," said Akko, folding her hands in a begging motion. "I'm already trapped in the castle and not allowed to visit Blytonbury with my friends. You take away Chariot Racing for me, and Luna Nova will be no different than a prison like the one Izetta escaped from."

"Hmm…" Ursula stood up and stared out of the window at the Racing Track, just visible through the rain. "Well…it does seem a little unreasonable after everything you've already gone through…and heavens knows, I'd like to see us win the Cup at last…but all the same, Akko…I'd be happier if a teacher were present. I'll ask Professor Kiki to oversee your training sessions."

* * *

The weather worsened steadily as the first Chariot Race drew closer. Undaunted, the Polaris team was training harder than ever under the eye of Professor Kiki. Then, at their final training session before Saturday's match, Amelia O'Neill gave his team some startling news.

"It's a bit of both good and bad," she told them, looking thoughtful. "The good news is that Diana won't be playing for Lunar in the first match. Lightning told me that she's still healing from the Qilin attack, so they're subbing for her."

"Is Diana going to be okay?" asked Akko worriedly. She knew Diana would never miss a chance for a race, not when they still had a score to settle.

"She'll be fine; Porlyusica said she'll recover by next week," said Amelia, waving her off. "But the bad news is the Corona team. I just found out that they've been secretly training with a new anchor named Fate Testarossa – "

"Fate-chan?" said Akko, looking surprised.

"You know her?" asked Amelia.

"Only a little bit," said Akko. "We're both friends with Nanoha-chan, but that's about the most I know about her other than she's a fourth year in Corona."

"Yeah, well, that's not gonna help us against her in the upcoming match," said Amelia, crossing her arms with a huff. "We've been practicing all our moves assuming that Diana Cavendish would be the biggest threat, but now we have an unknown factor on the field. I've been asking around the school for what they know. From what I can gather, she's a straight-A student nearly on par with Diana in terms of spellcasting, and she specializes in combative spells based on speed and agility; makes sense why the Corona team would want to recruit her. And from what I heard, she is capable of using flying magic without the help of a broom.

Avery and the twins all started muttering to each other, looking worried.

"Flying without a broom?" Akko gasped. "Is that even possible? Or legal?"

"Unaided flying magic is possible, but it's extremely rare," said Amelia, frowning. "Only a handful of people in a generation can accomplish it, and that's only if they have a certain affinity to it; the only other people in Luna Nova that can do it is Professor Holbrooke, Takamachi from Lunar, and Yagami from Twilight. And as for whether it's legal, I checked the rule book. It says that as long as they aren't using a living mount, illegal boosters, and their feet aren't touching the ground, it's acceptable. This is bad…."

"I don't know why you're worried, Amelia," said Avery. "Sure, they've got one good player, but the rest of the Corona team are a bunch of pushovers. Last time we played them, Akko knocked them on their asses, remember?"

"That was two years ago under completely different conditions!" Amelia shouted, her eyes bulging slightly. "Corona's putting up a very strong side this year! And we don't know anything about Testarossa's play style! I was afraid you'd take it like this! We can't relax! We must keep our focus! If we take this match lightly, then Lunar is going to steamroll us when Cavendish comes back! We _have_ to win!"

"Amelia, calm down," said Akko, looking slightly alarmed. "We're taking Corona very seriously. _Seriously._ "

* * *

The day before the match, the winds reached howling point and the rain fell harder than ever. It was so dark inside the corridors and classrooms that extra lamps were lit. And oddly enough, Diana seemed disappointed that she wasn't going to be racing in a potential hurricane.

"I'm perfectly capable of racing with one arm," she said bitterly during Charms class. "But Lightning is insistent that I remain off the track until I'm fully healed…."

Akko had no room in her head to worry about anything else except the match tomorrow. Amelia O'Neill kept hurrying up to her between classes and giving her tips. The third time this happened, Amelia talked for so long that Akko suddenly realized she was ten minutes late for White Magic class, and set off at a run with Amelia shouting after her, "Testarossa is small and lithe, so she's bound to have a fast swerve, Akko, you might want to try looping her – "

Akko skidded to a halt outside the White Magic classroom, pulled the door open, and dashed inside.

"Sorry I'm late, Master Noah, I – "

But it wasn't Master Noah who looked up at her from the teacher's desk; it was Professor Finnelan.

"This lesson began ten minutes ago, Miss Kagari, so I think we'll make it ten points from Polaris. Sit down."

But Akko didn't move.

"Where's Master Noah?" she said.

"He says he is taking a temporary leave of absence for personal business," said Professor Finnelan. "I believe I told you to sit down?"

But Akko stayed where she was.

"What happened to him?"

Professor Finnelan's eyes glinted.

"Did you not hear me say it was for personal business?" she said with a glare that was only reserved for Akko. "Five more points from Polaris, and if I have to ask you to sit down again, it will be fifty."

Akko walked slowly to her seat and sat down. Professor Finnelan looked around at the class.

"As I was saying before Miss Kagari interrupted, Master Noah had not left any record of the topics you have covered so far – "

"Excuse me, Professor, but we have already covered the Pure Light spell, basic healing magic, and restoration magic," said Diana promptly. "We were set to begin with support magic."

"Thank you, Diana," said Professor Finnelan, nodding to her. "But I was not asking for information. I was merely commenting on Master Noah's lack of organization."

"He's the best teacher we've ever had," said Amanda boldly, and there was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the class. Professor Finnelan looked more menacing than ever.

"You are easily satisfied. Master Noah is hardly overtaxing you – I would expect first years to be able to perform basic healing and restoration magic. Today we shall be discussing – "

Akko watched her flick through the textbook, to the very back chapter, which she must know they hadn't covered.

" – Deadman Syndrome," said Professor Finnelan.

"But, Professor," said Diana, seemingly unable to restrain herself, "we're not supposed to do Deadman Syndrome yet, we're due to start speed boosts and power boosts – "

"Miss Cavendish," said Professor Finnelan calmly, "you know I value your input, but I was under the impression that I am teaching this lesson, not you. And I am telling you all to turn to page 394." She glanced around again. " _All_ of you! _Now!_ "

With many bitter sidelong looks and some sullen muttering, the class opened their books.

"Which of you can tell me the difference between Deadman Syndrome and a Hemokinesis spell?" said Professor Finnelan.

Everyone sat in motionless silence; everyone except Diana, whose hand, as it so often did, had shot straight into the air.

"Really? Only Diana?" Professor Finnelan said, scoffing. "Are you telling me that Master Noah hasn't even taught you the basic distinction between – "

"We told you," said Sarah Bernhardt from Corona suddenly, "we haven't got as far as Deadman Syndrome yet, we're still on – "

" _Silence!_ " snarled Professor Finnelan. "Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third-year class who wouldn't even recognize the difference between magic and a disease. I shall make a point of informing Headmistress Holbrooke how very behind you all are…."

"Uh…excuse me, Professor," said Wendy, speaking hesitantly as she shakily raised her hand. "The difference between Deadman Syndrome and a Hemokinesis spell is that while Hemokinesis is done by using magic to manipulate the flow of blood in others, Deadman Syndrome comes from an infectious parasite that inhabits the body and only allows the people who are infected to manipulate their own blood – "

"I do not remember calling on you, Miss Marvell," said Professor Coolly. "Five points from Corona for speaking out of turn and five more for being an insufferable know-it-all."

Wendy went very red, put her hand down, and stared at the floor with her eyes full of tears. The Polaris house never liked Professor Finnelan and the feeling was definitely mutual, but she was usually more civil when it came to the other students. But then again, everyone knew that Professor Finnelan loved to play favorites and Diana was her golden child. No doubt she was responding to Wendy in the same way the other students were treating her once word got out that Wendy might be a better student than Diana. It certainly seemed that way to Amanda, who jumped to her feet, knocking her chair to the floor, and said with a heated glare, "Oh, so Wendy gets in trouble for giving the right answer, but princess over there gets a free pass when she backtalks! Talk about nepotism! Does it hurt knowing that your house isn't on top anymore?"

The class knew instantly she'd gone too far. Professor Finenlan advanced on Amanda slowly, and the room held its breath.

"Detention, Miss O'Neill," Professor Finnelan said silkily, her face very close to Amanda's. "And if I ever hear you criticize the way I teach a class again, you will be very sorry indeed."

No one made a sound throughout the rest of the lesson. They sat and made notes on Deadman Syndrome from the textbook, while Professor Finnelan prowled up and down the rows of desks, examining the work they had been doing with Master Noah.

"Very poorly explained…. That is incorrect, the restoration spell was first used by a Mongolia mage…. Master Noah gave this eight out of ten? I wouldn't have given it three…."

When the bell rang at last, Professor Finnelan held them back.

"You will each write an essay, to be handed in to me, on the ways to recognize and subdue Deadman Syndrome. I want two sheets on the subject, single-spaced, and I want them by Monday morning. It is time somebody took this class in hand. Miss O'Neill, stay behind, we need to arrange your detention."

Akko and the others left the room with the rest of the class, who waited until they were well out of earshot, then burst into a furious tirade about Professor Finnelan.

"Finnelan's never acted like this with any of the other classes, not even when I screw up in alchemy" Akko said to Diana. "She's been acting really weird ever since Izetta broke in the other night."

"Something else is going on," said Diana pensively. "I don't know what's going through Professor Finnelan's mind, but I hope Master Noah comes back soon. Even I can tell that was a horrible class. Especially to…."

She looked towards Wendy in front of them, who was still sniffling and rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.

Amanda caught up with them five minutes later, in a towering rage.

"Do you know what that – " (she called Finnelan something that, for the sake of the rating, had to be censored from this book) – "is making me do? I've got to scrub all the toilets in the castle. _Without magic!_ " She was breathing deeply, her fists clenched. "Why couldn't Izetta have attack Finnelan instead, huh? Talk about a missed opportunity."

* * *

Akko woke extremely early the next morning; so early that it was still dark. For a moment, she thought the roaring of the wind had woken her. Then she felt a cold breeze on the back of her neck and sat bolt upright – Mr. Mxyzptlk had just been floating next to her, blowing hard in her ear.

"What did you do that for?" said Akko furiously.

Mxyz puffed out his cheeks, blew hard, and zoomed backward out of the room, cackling.

Akko fumbled for her alarm clock and looked at it. It was half past four. Cursing Mxyz, she rolled over and tried to get back to sleep, but it was very difficult, now that she was awake, to ignore the sounds of the thunder rumbling overhead, the pounding of the wind against the castle walls, and the distant creaking of the trees in the Arcturus Forest. In a few hours she would be out on the racing track, battling through that gale. Finally, she gave up any thought of more sleep, got up, dressed, and walked quietly out of the dormitory.

As Akko opened the door, something brushed against her leg. She looked down in time to see Mikko's puffy tail whipping around the corner as he trotted down the stairway.

"Well, I guess I'm not the only one that can't sleep," Akko said to Mikko, following him downstairs.

The noise of the storm was even louder in the common room. Akko knew better than to think the match would be canceled; Chariot Races weren't called off for trifles like thunderstorms. Nevertheless, she was starting to feel apprehensive. Akko had always though Diana would be her biggest challenge on the racing track, but Amelia was constantly bringing up wild rumors she overheard, most likely made by Corona, about Fate Testarossa, who Akko would be facing as a fellow anchor. The idea that Fate could fly unsupported by a broom was already unnerving without hearing things like how she could summon lightning (if any part of that was true, then racing in the middle of a storm only got worse).

Akko whiled away the hours until dawn in front of the fire, getting up every now and then to relieve some of her pent-up energy. At long last Akko thought it must be time for breakfast, so she headed through the archway alone.

She revived a bit over a large bowl of rice and miso, and by the time she'd started on her grilled fish, the rest of the team had turned up.

"It's going to be a tough one," said Amelia, who wasn't eating anything.

"Stop worrying, captain," said Avery soothingly, "we don't mind a little rain."

But it was considerably more than just a little rain. Such was the popularity of Chariot Racing that the whole school turned out to watch the match as usual, but they ran down the lawns towards the track, heads bowed against the furious wind, umbrellas being whipped out of their hands as they went. Just before she entered the locker room, Akko saw a sullen-faced Diana being guided to the stands by Hannah and Barbara under an enormous umbrella.

The team changed into their bright red uniforms and waited for Amelia's usual pre-match pep talk, but it didn't come. She tried to speak several times, made an odd gulping noise, then shook her head hopelessly and beckoned them to follow her.

The wind was so strong that they staggered sideways as they walked out onto the track. If the crowd was cheering, they couldn't hear it over the fresh rolls of thunder. Rain was splattering all over Akko's face. It was a good thing Shooting Star was the one driving.

The other teams were making their way onto the track from their own locker rooms, each of them dressed in their House colors (Twilight in dusty-yellow, Corona in soft orange, Eclipse in deep purple, and Lunar in light-blue). The captains walked up to each other and shook hands; the Corona captain, Zelda Skyloft, looked very confident while Amelia, Bayonetta the Eclipse captain, Lightning the Lunar captain, and Zatanna the Twilight captain were lockjawed and merely nodded. Akko saw Professor Kiki's mouth form the words, "Mount your brooms." Akko took her place on the sidelines with the rest of the players waiting for their turn as Amelia and the first set of runners swung their legs over their brooms. Professor Kiki put her whistle to her lips and gave it a blast that sounded shrill and distant – they were off.

The first track was a relatively simple one: The Wind Track. Though it was clear of any obstacles and made it easier to locate rings and targets, the field generated powerful gusts to knock players off their broom. And combined with the already blustery gale, the forward racers were swerving out of control and nearly bumping into each other. Amelia kept her head down and stayed low to the ground, which made it easier for her to direct her broom and picked up a couple rings along the way, but didn't take any chances with the targets.

Within five minutes Amelia became the first to pass her rings off to Rajani and the tracks changed into the Ocean Track ("As if I wasn't soaked already!" Rajani complained). The other teams started coming in one by one with the Corona team being last to pass off their rings to the next player, but they didn't seem disappointed. On the contrary, the Corona team were looking very smug. The Corona racer walked past them to take cover in the sidelines with them and clapped Fate on the shoulder, giving her a smile and a thumbs-up. Fate returned the gesture with a confident grin. Akko had a bad feeling that they were up to something, and judging by the looks of the team captains, they thought so as well.

The rest of the race seemed to pass in the blink of an eye – both Rajani and Rashmi managed to hold on to their first-place position, picking up a few extra rings here and there to widen their lead. No one had been able to hit a single target or another racer due to the winds blowing their spells off course, so everyone had given up on trying and started focusing on speed and ring collecting. By the time Rashmi passed off the rings to Avery and she took off down the Tornado Track ("Seriously? The track organizer really has it out for us!" yelled Amelia.) Polaris was already pulling ahead with a solid one-hundred-and-twenty-point lead. Meanwhile, Corona was falling farther and farther behind with each lap, now a full three hundred points behind from the lead, but still their team did not seem bothered. Every time a player came off the track, they would clap Fate on the shoulder with eager smiles as they walked past, making Akko feel more nervous each time.

She lost all sense of time. It was getting harder and harder to see the track. The sky was getting darker, as though night had decided to come early. It was impossible to tell who was a teammate and who was an opponent on the track; everyone was now so wet, and the rain so thick, she could hardly tell them apart….

"You're up next, Kagari!" Amelia shouted over the storm. "We're holding the lead right now! Forget about everything else, just make it across the finish line first and we're guaranteed to win!"

"Corona isn't playing as well as I thought they would!" said Akko. "Actually, it kinda looks like they're losing on purpose!"

"Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing!" roared Amelia, looking toward Fate. "I don't know what they're planning, but it's already too late! There's no way they can get enough points to catch up now! Just shoot for first and bring home the win, Kagari!"

The racers were starting to come around the corner as the field randomizer landed on the City Track. The flat grounds of the racing track were soon filled with an immensely dark city filled with imposingly tall skyscrapers, several lights showing through the small windows, neon signs littering the various alleys of the simulated metropolis, and at the top of the tallest building were a mess of oversized television monitors. Akko threw her leg over Shooting Star as she got into position. She reached back as Avery came close and took off immediately once she managed to secure all the rings.

Full of fresh determination, she urged the Shooting Star through the dark alleyway, knocking over trash cans and scattering loose flyers in her wake. In such an enclosed space, the noise beyond the walls was muffled – she couldn't hear the roar of the storm or the screams of the audience – and the sound inside seemed amplified. She could hear the other racers entering the city behind her.

Akko looked back as a fork of lightning lit up the sky, illuminating the faces of Bayonette and the Lunar and Twilight anchors who were doing an impressive job keeping up with her. She didn't see Fate, however. Akko wondered if maybe she was too far behind to catch up –

There was another flash of lightning, but it didn't come from the sky; it came through the alleyway behind them, bouncing off the walls until it struck the Twilight anchor in the back, throwing them off their broom and causing her to fall into a pile of garbage bags. The rings she had picked up rolled on the ground, including the one she had started with – Twilight lost all their points.

Akko looked wildly around. Before any of them could realize what had just happened, a streak of yellow light shot through the alleyway and passed both Bayonetta and the Lunar anchor, sending them both spiraling out of control and smacking into the buildings until the hit the ground, all of their rings spilling on the street. Akko stared as the yellow streak pulled up beside her and, with a gasp, realized that it was Fate Testarossa.

Fate flashed her a smile before holding her hand up and shouting:

" **Photon Lancer!** "

At the very last second, Shooting Star pulled up, narrowly dodging the beam of yellow energy that exploded from Fate's hand and created a massive hole in the building beside them.

Akko and Shooting Star hovered in the air briefly, which allowed Fate to shoot ahead around another alleyway beyond the largest skyscraper. She intended to follow Fate and catch up, but at that moment, another flash of lightning illuminated the sky, and Akko saw something that distracted her completely – the silhouette of a woman, clearly imprinted against the television monitors behind her, staring directly at her with bright red eyes.

Akko's numb hands slipped on Shooting Star's handle and dropped a few feet before the rogue broom righted her up again. Shaking her sodden bangs out of her eyes, she squinted back to the television monitors. The woman had vanished.

"Akko!" Amelia's anguished voice someone managed to pierce through the buildings (Just how loud can she be, Akko wondered). "Akko, move it! Testarossa is almost there!"

With a jolt of panic, Akko threw herself flat onto Shooting Star and zoomed into the alleyway around the skyscraper.

"Come on!" She growled at Shooting Star as the rain whipped her face. " _Faster!_ "

But something odd was happening. An eerie silence was falling over the city. The wind, though as strong as ever, was forgetting to roar. It was as though someone had turned off the sound, as though Akko had suddenly gone deaf – what was going on?

And then a horribly familiar wave of cold swept over her, inside her, just as she became aware of something moving on the walls around her….

Before she had time to think, Akko stopped in the middle of the alleyway and looked up. At least a hundred Neo Shadows, their bulbous yellow eyes pointed down at her, were crawling on the walls like cockroaches. It was as though freezing water were rising in her chest, cutting at her insides. And then she heard something strange…it sounded like a child's voice…they were laughing….

Numbing, swirling white mist was filling Akko's brain...her vision was failing…the alleyway was slowly eroding into a puddle of colors. She felt something hard hit her back…had she fallen on the ground…her mind was only dimly aware of the rings slipping off her arm. She couldn't see anymore…everything was fading into black…she closed her eyes –

\- And when she opened them again, she was no longer lying in a dirty alley in the middle of a dark city, but standing in the middle of a lush pasture, the wind gently blowing through her hair. She heard laughter and looked in front. Someone – a little girl whose face seemed strangely blurred out – was clapping and cheering.

She didn't know what force compelled her to do so, but she started waving her wand around and a colorful bounty of butterflies suddenly fluttered to life. The little girl squealed delightfully as the butterflies flapped their luminous wings over her head. A warmth spread through her heart, happy knowing she could make this little girl smile.

The little girl faced her, smiling with great joy as she called out her name:

" _Chariot…._ "

* * *

"It's amazing she's even still alive."

"I thought she was dead for sure."

"If she croaks, I've already made claim on her liver and lungs."

"Get out of here, Manbavaran!"

Akko could hear the voices whispering, but they made no sense whatsoever. She didn't have a clue where she was, or how she'd got there, or what she'd been doing before she got there. All she knew was that every inch of her was aching as though it had been beaten.

"That was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life."

Scariest…the scariest thing…crawling black figures…so cold…she couldn't breathe…

Akko's eyes snapped open. She way lying in the hospital wing. The Polaris racing team, dripping wet from head to foot, was gathered around her bed. Her friends were there also, including Diana, Hannah, and Barbara, looking just as sopping as everyone else, but didn't seem to notice because they were too busy looking over Akko.

"Akko!" said Avery, who looked extremely white in the face. "How are you feeling?"

It was as though Akko's memory was on fast forward. The lightning – Fate – the woman – and the Heartless…

"What happened?" she said, sitting up so suddenly they all gasped.

"You fell off," said Rashmi. "You were having another seizure."

"We thought you had died," said Rajani, who was shaking.

Lotte made a small, squeaky noise. Her eyes were extremely bloodshot.

"But the match?" said Akko. "What happened? Are we doing a replay?"

No one said anything. The horrible truth sank in Akko like a stone.

"We didn't – _lose?_ "

"Fate crossed the finish line," said Avery. "Just after you fell off your broom. When you landed, all the rings fell off – we lost all the points we made. She didn't realize what happened. When she found out you had passed out, she tried to call it off. Wanted a rematch. But they won fair and square…even Amelia admits it."

"Where is Amelia?" said Akko, suddenly realizing she wasn't there.

"Still in the showers," said Rashmi. "We think she's trying to drown herself."

Akko put her face to her knees, her hands gripping her hair. Rajani grabbed her shoulder and shook it roughly.

"Come on, Akko, you've never failed us before."

"There had to be one time you didn't win," said Rashmi.

"It's not over yet," said Avery. "Corona purposely kept their score low so that they could catch everyone off guard with Fate, but that also hurt them, too. Right now, they've only got a seven-hundred-point lead. As long as we do well in the next two races, we still have a chance for the Cup. Of course, Lunar, Twilight, and Eclipse will also be working twice as hard because they got zero points like us, but I'm sure we can make a comeback if we keep working at it – "

Akko lay there, not saying a word. They had lost…for the first time ever, she had lost a Chariot Race.

After ten minutes or so, Porlyusica came over to tell the team to leave them in peace.

"We'll come and see you later," Avery told her. "Don't beat yourself up, Akko, you're still the best racer we ever had."

The team trooped out, leaving large puddles behind them. Porlyusica shut the door behind them, looking disapproving. Lotte and her friends moved closer to Akko's bed.

"Professor Holbrooke was really angry," Jasminka said in a quaking voice. "I've never seen her like that before. She ran onto the track and stomped all the way up to the Heartless that were swarming you. She waved her hand at them and blew them to pieces with a blast of light…. She was furious that they had come onto the grounds. We heard her – "

"Then she magicked you onto a stretcher," said Barbara. "And walked up to the school with you floating on it. Everyone thought you were…"

Her voice faded, but Akko hardly noticed. She was thinking about what the Heartless had done to her…about the vision she had about the laughing child. She looked up and saw her friends looking at her so anxiously that she quickly cast a look around for something matter-of-fact to say.

"You said the Heartless swarmed me. Did that mean Holbrooke stepped in before they could get a hold of me?"

All at once, her friends looked at one another with grim expressions.

"Um…"

"What?" said Akko, looking at each of them.

"Well…when you fell off, the Heartless were already on top of you," said Diana hesitantly. "Professor Holbrooke didn't get there until minutes after…."

"Then how am I still alive?" asked Akko.

"Shooting Star…it – it tried to defend you. It fought them off as long as it could, but it was outnumbered and overpowered. They grabbed it and dragged it down."

Akko's stomach gave an uncomfortable lurch.

"And?" she said, dreading the answer.

" _Well, it tried really hard to break free,_ " said Stan-Bot and Constanze looked down gloomily. " _But there were just so many of them. They started to…_ "

"Professor Kiki brought it back just before you came around," said Amanda in a very small voice.

They all turned to Sucy, who slowly reached down for a bag at her feet, turned it upside down, and dumped the content at the foot of the bed. There were over a dozen bits of shattered metal and wood along with three skeletons of wings that he been thoroughly plucked.

Akko's breath hitched, her eyes stinging, as she collected the pieces in her hands and the horrible reality washed over her. Shooting Star – her greatest partner and dearest friend – was dead.

* * *

 **We all knew it was coming, but it doesn't make it easier, does it? Shooting Star was a valiant broom and a good friend to Akko from beginning to end – it will be dearly missed.**

 **Next Chapter: The Shiny Guide Book**


	10. The Shiny Guide Book

**Akko Kagari and the White Witch**

 **Chapter Ten: The Shiny Guide Book**

Porlyusica insisted on keeping Akko in the hospital wing for the rest of the weekend. She didn't argue or complain, but she wouldn't let her throw away the shattered remnants of Shooting Star. She knew she was being stupid knowing that even if the Shooting Star was repaired, its soul was still gone, but Akko couldn't help it; she felt as though she had just lost one of her best friends.

She had a stream of visitors, all intent on cheering her up. Annabel Crème sent her a bunch of flowers that smelled like cotton candy when they were placed in sunlight, and Wendy turned up with a get-well card she had made herself, which sang shrilly unless Akko kept it shut under her bowl of fruit. The Polaris racing team visited again on Sunday morning, this time accompanied by Amelia, who told Akko (in a hollow, dead sort of voice) that she didn't blame her in the slightest. Amanda, Jasminka, and Constanze went missing for a while, but Lotte and Sucy left Akko's bedside only at night. But nothing anyone said or did could make Akko feel any better, because they knew only half of what was troubling her.

She hadn't told anyone what she had seen on that skyscraper in front of the television monitors, not even Lotte and Sucy. She knew it had been Izetta. Three times now she had appeared in front of Akko and three times she came close to death; the first time, she had nearly been run over by the Space Patrol's ship; the second, Izetta had confronted her personally until Ursula stepped in; the third, swarmed by a horde of Heartless. Akko knew that Izetta was after her, but it took the loss of Shooting Star for her to understand just what that truly meant. Was Izetta going to haunt her for the rest of her life? Was Akko going to spend every day looking over her shoulder?

And then there were the Heartless. Akko felt sick and humiliated every time she thought of them. Everyone said the Heartless were horrible, but no one collapsed every time they were near one. No one else had seizures and started seeing visions.

And that was another thing that had bothered Akko ever since the accident. She had passed out twice before because of the Heartless and both times she heard voices in the darkness; the second time it happened, she saw something: a memory. But it wasn't her memory. It belonged to her mother, Chariot Du Nord. It wasn't the first time Akko had seen through the eyes of her idol, vividly remembering the three nights she spent in her first years sitting in front of the Fountain of Polaris. But that was because the Fountain was a magical artifact that could peer through time – Akko had nothing that would explain why she would suddenly have these visions…. Every now and again, Akko was doze off into empty sleep until she found herself back in that grassy plain, making butterflies come to life, listening to that little girl laugh and wonder who she is….

* * *

It was a relief to return to the noise and bustle of the main school on Monday, where she was forced to think about other things. She had hoped that she would feel better during Magical Pharmaceutics where she would be sharing the same table with Diana and helping her with her ingredients, but she was sadly disappointed when she arrived and found her sitting with Hannah and Barbara. She had finally gotten the bandages off with only a slight burn scar on the back of her hand to show for it. Diana was diligently back to work and Akko, now woebegone, trudged over to her usual table with Lotte and Sucy. Everything else fell into routine after that with Akko once again blowing up the lab after mixing the wrong catalyst and Professor Hex taking twenty points from Polaris.

"If Finnelan's teaching White Magic again, I'm cutting out," said Amanda as they headed up toward Master Noah's classroom after lunch. "Check who's in there, Princess."

Diana peered around the classroom door.

"It's okay!"

Master Noah was back at work. It looked a little worse for where than when he left. His skin was slightly paled and there were dark shadows beneath his eyes; nevertheless, he smiled at the class as they took their seats, and they burst at once into an explosion of complaints about Finnelan's behavior while Master Noah had been away.

"It's not fair, she was only filling in, why should she give us homework?"

"We don't know anything about Deadman Syndrome –

" – two sheets, single spaced!"

"Did you tell Professor Finnelan we haven't covered Deadman Syndrome yet?" Master Noah asked, frowning slightly.

The babble broke out again.

"Yes, but she said we were really behind – "

" – she wouldn't listen – "

" – _two sheets, single spaced!"_

Master Noah smiled at the look of indignation on every face.

"Don't worry. I'll speak to Professor Finnelan. You don't have to do the essay."

"Oh _no,_ " said Diana, looking very disappointed. "I've already finished it!"

They had a very enjoyable lesson. Master Noah had brought in a poltergeist, a malevolent spirit known for destroying houses and sucking children into televisions. Master Noah demonstrated a technique that calmed the poltergeist and allowed it to pass on to the other side. As eager as they were to try it, Master Noah made it clear that spiritual bending is an advanced technique and most likely wouldn't learn it until their fifth year.

When the bell rang, everyone gathered up their things and headed for the door, Akko among them, but –

"Wait a moment, Miss Kagari," Master Noah called. "I'd like a word."

Akko doubled back up as Master Noah turned back to his desk and started piling books into his briefcase.

"I heard about the match," said Master Noah, "and I'm sorry about your broomstick. Is there any chance of fixing it?"

"Fixing the body is the easy part, according to Professor Kiki," Akko mumbled. "But when Shooting Star snapped, he lost his soul. Even if they fix it, there's no way of bringing back the soul."

Master Noah sighed.

"That's a such a terrible loss. I can't imagine how devastated you must be. I heard that the Shooting Star hadn't chosen another rider since its creator died a long time ago. You must have been something special to it. I heard it put up a valiant fight before it died."

"So you heard about the Heartless too?" said Akko with difficulty.

Master Noah looked at her quickly.

"Yes, I did. I don't think any of us have seen Professor Holbrooke that angry. They have been growing restless for some time…furious at her refusal to let them inside the grounds…. I suppose they were the reason you fell."

"Yes," said Akko. She hesitated, and then the question she had to ask burst from her before she could stop herself. " _Why_? Why do they affect me like that? Am I just - ?"

"It has nothing to do with weakness," said Master Noah sharply, as though he had read Akko's mind. "Quite the opposite actually. The Heartless are drawn to strong hearts full of light, and your heart is by far the strongest in the whole school, perhaps in all of Europe. And it is because of that light that they affect you worse than the others. Because, as you know, the shadows grow larger the closer they are to the light."

A ray of wintery sunlight fell across the class room, illuminating, Master's Noah's handsome face; Akko noticed that parts of his hair seemed to be graying, despite being so young.

"The Heartless are among the foulest creatures that walk this Earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in death and despair, they drain all light from the body, soul, and the world itself. Get too close to a Heartless and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you. If it can, the Heartless will feed on your light long enough until your heart is filled with nothing but darkness…and then, when you have been consumed by darkness, you shall become a Heartless yourself. They covet the light of people's hearts, especially those who shine brightest, because the stronger the heart, the more powerful they will be when they become a Heartless. I don't even want to imagine what sort of monster you would become if you were to turn, Miss Kagari."

"When they get close to me – " Akko stared at Master Noah's desk, her throat tight. "I have…visions. The last time it happened…I saw Shiny Chariot's memories."

Master Noah made a sudden motion with his arm as though to grip Akko's shoulder, but thought better of it. There was a moment's silence, then –

"Why did they have to come to the match?" said Akko bitterly.

"They're getting hungry," said Master Noah coolly, shutting his suitcase with a snap. "Professor Holbrooke won't let them into the school, so their supply of human prey has dried up…. I don't think they could resist the large crowd around the race track. All that excitement…emotions running high…it was their idea of a feast."

"Dol Guldur must be terrible," said Akko. Master Noah nodded grimly.

"The fortress is set in the middle of a vast wasteland thousands of miles from any sort of civilization or water source, but they don't need walls or desert to keep their prisoners in, not when they're all trapped inside their own heads, swallowed up by their darkness. Most of them beg to die within weeks…and then the Heartless turn them, increasing their numbers."

"But Izetta escaped from them," said Akko slowly. "She got away…."

Master Noah's briefcase slipped from the desk; he had to stoop quickly to catch it.

"Yes," he said, straightening up, "Izetta must have found a way to fight them. I wouldn't believe it possible…. Heartless are supposed to drain a Demi-Humans of their powers if they are left with them for too long…."

" _You_ destroyed that Neo Shadow on the train," said Akko suddenly.

"Destroying a Heartless isn't that hard, if you know how to do it," said Master Noah. "But there was only one Heartless on the train. The more there are, the more difficult it becomes to resist."

"How do you destroy a Heartless?" said Akko at once. "Can you teach me?"

"I don't pretend to be an expert at fight Heartless, Akko…I'm no Keyblade Master…."

"But if the Heartless come to another Chariot race, I need to be able to fight them – "

Master Noah looked into Akko's determined face, hesitated, then said, "Well…all right. I'll try and help. But it'll have to wait until next term, I'm afraid. I have a lot to do before the holidays. Something personal has come up recently."

* * *

What with the promise of anti-Heartless lessons from Master Noah, the thought that she might never suffer another collapse again, and the fact that Polaris scored third place while Corona ended up in second in the next Chariot Race at the end of November, Akko's mood took a definite upturn. Amanda, who was probably the best broom rider in the school next to Diana, had been asked to replace her as anchor and almost effortlessly knocked Fate out of the air, which is why she ended up in second. Akko thought it would be better if Amanda just played her position for the rest of the year, but Amanda furiously proclaimed that she was only doing it until Akko found another broom, because Akko was Polaris's real anchor, not her. Amelia seemed to agree with her sister as she became repossessed of her manic energy, and worked her team as hard as ever in the chilly haze of rain that persisted into December. Akko saw no hint of a Heartless within the grounds. Professor Holbrooke's anger seemed to be keeping them at their stations at the entrances.

Two weeks before the end of the term, the sky lightened suddenly to a dazzling, opaline white and the muddy grounds were revealed one morning covered in glittering frost. Inside the castle, there was a buzz of Christmas in the air. Professor Akane, the Charms teacher, had already decorated her classroom with shimmering lights of fluttering fairies. The students were all happily discussing their plans for the holidays. Akko had hoped to go back home for Christmas this year since she couldn't during the previous two years, but it seemed that Ursula had gotten a hold of her parents before she could. After explaining the danger with Izetta, they wholeheartedly agreed that she should stay at the castle where she would be safely guarded. Akko didn't like the idea that Ursula went behind her back; it seemed to be becoming a recurring theme this year, she noticed.

Akko usually had a couple friends who would stay behind at Luna Nova with her. This year it would be Constanze and Diana, and though Constanze said it was because she needed to start refurbishing her new laboratory (which none of them have even seen yet), and Diana insisted she needed to use the library, Akko wasn't fooled; they were doing it to keep her company, and she was very grateful.

To everyone's delight except Akko's, there was to be another Blytonbury trip on the very last weekend of the term.

"We can do all our Christmas shopping there!" said Lotte. "Anna would really love those red bean pasta sweet rolls at Ama Usa An!"

Resigned to the fact that she would be the only third year staying behind, Akko borrowed a copy of _Witch Broomstick_ from Amelia, and decided to spend the day reading up on the different makes. She hadn't gone near another broomstick since Shooting Star – the wound was still fresh in her heart – but she needed to push away the pain and find another to ride for the sake of the team, and so the Amelia would stop hovering over her.

On the Saturday morning of the Blytonbury trip, Akko bid good-bye to Lotte and Sucy, who were wrapped in cloaks and scarves, then turned up the spiral staircase alone, and headed back toward Polaris Tower. Snow had started to fall outside the windows, and the castle was very still and quiet.

"Psst – Akko!"

She turned, halfway along the third-floor corridor, to see Amanda, Jasminka, and Constanze peering out at her from behind a statue of a hump-backed, one-eyed witch.

"What are you doing?" said Akko curiously. "How come you're not going to Blytonbury?"

"We're going a little later," said Amanda with a mysterious wink. "But first, we've come to give you a bit of festive cheer before we go. Come in here…."

She nodded toward an empty classroom to the left of the one-eyed statue. Akko followed the three inside. Jasminka closed the door quietly and then turned, beaming, to look at Akko.

"Early Christmas present for you, Akko," she said.

Constanze pulled something from inside her bag and laid it on one of the desks. It was a small, white, and slightly torn book with nothing written on it. Akko, suspecting one of their jokes, stared at it.

"What's that supposed to be?"

"This, Akko, is the secret to our success," said Amanda, patting the book fondly.

" _We argued back and forth about whether to give it to you,_ " said Stand-Bot, " _but we decided, after everything you've gone through, you deserve it more than us._ "

"Anyway, we know it by heart," said Jasminka. "We want to give it to you. We don't really need it anymore."

"And what do I need with an old, worn out book," said Akko.

"An old, worn out book!" said Amanda, closing her eyes with a grimace as though Akko had mortally offended her. "Explain, Constanze."

" _Well…it was back when we were in our first year, Akko, when we got in trouble with Elma for letting off some experimental stink bombs –_ "

"That was you?" shouted Akko. "I couldn't walk down that hall for two months. It always made me late for Alchemy and Finnelan kept giving me detention for that!"

" _Yeah, well, anyway,_ " said Stan-Bot while Constanze rolled her eyes. " _We were hauled off to her office and she started threatening us with the usual – "_

" – detention – "

" – suspension – "

" – force us to watch Twilight – "

" – _and Amanda couldn't help noticing a drawer in one of her filing cabinets was marked_ Confiscated and Highly Dangerous."

"Don't tell me – " said Akko, starting to grin.

"Well, what would you have done?" said Amanda. "Constanze blew up one of her Stan-Bots, filling the whole room with smoke, and I whipped the drawer open and grabbed – _this_."

"It's not as bad as it sounds, you know," said Jasminka. "We don't think Elma ever found out how to work it. She probably thought about what it was, though, or she wouldn't have confiscated it."

"And you know how to work it?"

"Oh yeah," said Amanda, smirking. "This little beauty has taught us more than all the teachers in this school."

"You're winding me up," said Akko, looking at the slightly torn cover of the book.

"Oh, are we?" said Amanda. "Jasminka, if you please?"

Jasminka took out her wand, touched the cover lightly, and said, " _Makmur Mikmur Mektoral_."

And at once, think lines of golden ink began to spread like a spider's web from the point that Jasminka's wand had touched. They joined each other, they curved and twisted until they began to blossom into great, curly words across the top that proclaimed:

 _The Sisters of the House Du Nord,  
In association with the Luna Nova Makers of Magical Mischief  
are proud to present_

 **THE SHINY GUIDE BOOK**

"House Du Nord…," Akko murmured aloud as she read the cover. "Wait, you mean like Chariot Du Nord? Shiny Chariot wrote this book?"

"Though you might like that," said Amanda, grinning excitedly. "That's not even the best part. Open it."

Akko turned the cover and was greeted with a very detailed map of Luna Nova's first floor. She turned to the next page, which covered the entire second floor, and the third page covered the third floor. Not only that, but the later pages also covered the dungeons, the grounds, and even parts of the Arcturus Forest. It was a complete atlas of the school. But the truly remarkable thing were the tiny squares moving around the pages, each labeled with a name in minuscule writing. Astounded, Akko bent over and touched one of the tiny squares. She nearly jumped back when a small window suddenly popped up in the corner of the page, almost like a computer. It showed a picture of the square she tapped, Professor Holbrooke, as well as tiny details like her age, her House association, and even her magical power level (Akko suspected this part was used in a lot of memes). And as Akko's eyes traveled up and down the familiar corridors, she noticed something else.

This map showed a set of passages she had never entered. And many of them seemed to lead –

"Through the Ley Line Terminal," said Amanda, tracing one of them with her finger. "There are seven in all. Now, Elma knows about these four" – she pointed them out – "but we're sure we're the only ones who know about _these_. Don't bother with the one behind the mirror on the fourth floor. We used it last winter, but it's caved in – completely blocked. And there used to be a hidden trapdoor in the middle of the grounds, but Sucy planted the stupid Mandrake on top of it last year, so that's a no go. But this one here, this one leads right into the kitchen of Ama Usa An. Jasminka likes to go through that one once a week to resupply her snack storage."

"So _that's_ why it seems like she has a limitless supply of snack," said Akko in awe. "Pretty sneaky."

"And as you might have noticed, the entrance is right outside the room, through that one-eyed crone's hump."

" _The waitress at Ama Usa An is a friend of ours,_ " said Stan-Bot. " _We'll tell her to be expecting you._ "

"The sisters of House Du Nord," said Akko softly. "Wait…sisters? Does that mean Shiny Chariot had a sister? I have an aunt?"

"Yeah, we thought about that, but then we realized – we really didn't care," said Amanda, shrugging her shoulder. "Also, don't forget to wipe it after you've used it or anyone can read it. Just tap it and say 'Luna Lana!' And it'll go blank."

" _We should get going before someone start getting suspicious,_ " said Stan-bot.

"See you in Ama Usa An," said Jasminka.

They left the room, all smirking in a satisfied sort of way.

Akko stood there, gazing at the miraculous guide book. She watched the tiny square Blair turn left and paused to sniff at something on the floor. If Elma really didn't know…she wouldn't have to pass the Heartless at all….

But even as she stood there, flooded with excitement, she suddenly had a strange flashback to when she first met Diana's mother last year just shortly after she destroyed Eveline.

 _Never confront anything that can think for itself!_

This guide book was one of those dangerous magical objects Mrs. Cavendish had been warning against…. _the Luna Nova Makers of Magical Mischief…_ but then, Akko reasoned, she only wanted to use it to get into Blytonbury, it wasn't as though she wanted to steal anything or attack anyone…and Amanda and her friends had been using it for years without anything horrible happening….

Akko traced the secret passage to Ama Usa An with her finger.

Then, quite suddenly, as though following orders, she snapped the Guide Book shut, stuffed inside her bag, and hurried to the door of the classroom. She opened it a couple of inches. There was no one outside. Very carefully, she edged out of the room and behind the statue of the one-eyed witch.

What did she have to do? She pulled out the Guide Book again and flipped to the page when she saw, to her astonishment, that a new ink figure had appeared upon it, labeled _Atsuko Kagari._ This figure was standing exactly where the real Akko was standing, about halfway down the third-floor corridor. Akko watched carefully. Her little ink self appeared to be tapping the witch with her minute wand. Akko quickly took out her real wand and tapped the statue. Nothing happened. She looked back at the Guide Book. The tiniest speech bubble had appeared next to her figure. The word inside said, " _Patentibus_."

" _Patentibus_!" Akko whispered, tapping the stone witch again.

At once, the statue's hump opened wide enough to admit a fairly large person. Akko glanced quickly up and down the corridor, hoisted herself into the hole headfirst, and pushed herself forward.

She slid a considerable way down what felt like a stone slide, then landed on cold, damp earth. She stood up, looking around. It was pitch dark. She reached into her bag, pulled out the lighter she used in Magical Pharmaceutics, and lit up a very narrow, low, earthy passageway. She held up the Shiny Guide Book, tapped it with the tip of her wand, and muttered, "Luna Lana!" The book went blank at once. She stuffed it inside her bag, then, heart beating fast, both excited and apprehensive, she set off.

The passage twisted and turned, more like the borrow of a giant rabbit than anything else. Akko hurried along it, stumbling now and then on the uneven floor, holding her lighter out in front. After traveling for what seemed like miles, the passage started to light up, which Akko soon discovered came from the ethereal green portal at the end of the tunnel. Akko recognized the portal – it was the same one that students used to enter Luna Nova from Glastonbury. Akko felt a thrill of eagerness run through her heart as she approached the portal and felt a familiar tugging sensation at her naval as she was being pulled forward. In no time at all, the feeling disappeared as Akko landed on her knees with a new tunnel opened in front of her and the portal now behind her. Silently congratulating herself for making it this far, she pressed on.

It took ages, but Akko had the thought of Japanese sweets from Ama Usa An to sustain her. After what felt like felt like an hour, the passage began to rise. Panting, Akko sped up, her face hot, her feet very cold.

Ten minutes later, she came to the foot of some worn stone steps, which rose out of sight above her. Careful not to make any noise, Akko began to climb. A hundred steps, two hundred steps, she lost count as she climbed, watching her feet…. Then, without warning, her head hit something hard.

It seemed to be a trapdoor. Akko stood there, massaging the top of her head, listening. She couldn't hear any sounds above her. Very slowly, she pushed the trapdoor open and peered over the edge.

She was in a wood furnished kitchen where the smell of sweets wafted from every corner of the room. Akko climbed out of the trapdoor and replaced it – it blended so perfectly with the wood paneled floor that it was impossible to tell it was there. Akko crept slowly toward the door that lead to the main room. Now she could definitely hear voices, not to mention the tinkle of a bell and the opening and shutting of a door.

Wondering what she ought to do, the door suddenly flew open and smacked her in the face. Akko stumbled back, holding her nose, when she heard a gasp. She looked up and found herself confronting a real Japanese beauty around her own age wearing a traditional green kimono – Akko could tell it was authentic based on the attention to detail on the stitching and obi. She was holding a serving tray; she must be a waitress.

"Oh, I am so sorry about that," she apologized. "I didn't think anyone would be back here."

"It's really my fault," Akko groaned. "You see, um…the reason I'm back here is because um…."

"Oh, you must be Jasminka's friend," said the waitress, clapping her hands with a bright smile. "She just stopped by earlier and told me you were coming through the secret tunnel underneath the shop."

"You seem to be taking the fact that someone broke into your shop rather well," said Akko bluntly.

"Eh, it happens all the time," said the waitress in a way too casual tone.

"Chiya! We need a Trio of Glistening Jewels and a Red Jewel in a Snowy Field!"

"Coming!" Chiya called back. "Well, I should get back to work. Could you please go in to the main shop? It would be very bad if my grandmother caught anyone back here. She's very scary when she's angry."

With a sweet girl like Chiya, Akko could hardly imagine anyone related to her being scary, but she decided she'd rather not take her chances. So while Chiya went around the kitchen to prepare, Akko reached the door, slipped through it, and found herself behind the counter of Ama Usa An – she ducked, crept sideways, and then straightened up.

Ama Usa An was so crowded with Luna Nova students that no one looked twice at Akko. She edged among them, looking around, feeling a sense of nostalgia as she had a better look around the shop.

Everything was done with an adherence to traditional Japanese aesthetics. The waitresses walked through the tables were traditional Japanese kimono is various colors, some of them with simple stripes and others were fancy stitching like stars or sakura petals. The food was either served on ceramic plates or in wooden bowls and refreshments were served in earthen clay mugs. Several hanging scrolls were spread along the walls, some with artistic images and others filled with kanji writing. A kabuto with the golden kanji for rabbit was sitting on a shelf near the kitchen door next to a vase of tsubaki. And for some reason, there was a black rabbit with a crown on his head standing perfectly still on a pedestal in the middle of the room – Akko almost thought it was stuffed.

Akko squeezed herself through a crowd of sixth years and saw Lotte and Sucy sitting in the corner of the shop, examining the menu. Akko snuck up behind them.

"Ugh, are you sure these are written in English?" Sucy complained, flipping the menu sideways. "I can't understand what the hell any of this stuff is."

"Yeah, it is a little hard to understand," said Lotte, chuckling nervously. "What do you think Moon and Stars Reflected Upon the Sea means?"

"That's azuki bean soup with shiratama and chestnuts," said Akko.

It was the first time Akko had ever seen Sucy jump like that.

" _Akko!_ " squealed Lotte. "What are you doing here? How – how did you - ?"

"I bet she did something illegal to get here," said Sucy, giving her the usual one-eyed leer.

"Well, you might not be wrong," said Akko. She dropped her voice so that none of the sixth years could hear her and told them all about the Shiny Guide Book.

"Amanda and them have been using that book for three years and they never told us about it!" said Lotte, flabbergasted. "We're their friends!"

"You guys do see the problem with that book, don't you?" said Sucy; Akko and Lotte stared. "If that book really was written by Shiny Chariot, then that means her friends know about it as well. And if you remember, Izetta used to be in her circle of friends. For all we know, Izetta could be using one of the passages in the book to get into the castle."

"She's right," Lotte gasped. "We need to tell the teachers about this!"

"Aren't you guys forgetting something?" said Akko quickly. "Professor Ursula, Professor Croix, and Blair were also Shiny Chariot's friends, so they probably know about the secret passages, too. There are seven secret tunnels on the map, right? Amanda and the others think Elma already knows about four of therm. And of the other three – one of them is caved in, so no one can get through it. One of them got Sucy's plant on top of it – "

"Gora-chan," Sucy cut in.

"Yeah, whatever. And the one I just came through – well, It's really hard to see the entrance down to it in the kitchen, so unless she knew it was there…."

Akko hesitated. If Sucy was right, then Izetta _would_ know where the entrance to the secret passageway was located. But then she caught something out of the corner of her eyes and spotted a notice pasted on the inside of the shop door.

- **By Order of-  
THE MAGIC COUNCIL**

 _Customers are reminded that until further notice, Heartless  
will be patrolling the streets of Blytonbury every night after  
sundown. This measure has been put in place for the safety  
of Blytonbury residents and will be lifted upon the recapture  
of Izetta. It is therefore advisable that you complete your  
shopping well before nightfall._

 _Merry Christmas!_

"See?" said Akko quietly. "I'd like to see Izetta try and break into Ama Usa An with Heartless swarming all over town. Anyway, Sucy, don't the owners live over the shop? They'd hear a break-in, wouldn't they?"

"While that is true," said Sucy blankly, "the fact is that Izetta has managed to fool the Heartless three times already – once at Dol Guldur and twice at Luna Nova. I think it's safe to say that they aren't as dependable as everyone thinks they are."

"Yeah, and that's not the only problem," said Lotte worriedly. "Akko still hasn't got a signed form. If anyone finds out, like Diana for instance, she'll be in so much trouble! And it's not nightfall yet – what if Izetta turns up today? Now?"

"She'd have a hard time spotting me in this," said Akko, nodding through the windows at the thick, swirling snow. "Come on, you guys, it's Christmas. I've been cooped up at the castle and I just lost Shooting Star. Don't you think I deserve a break?"

Sucy frowned deeper and Lotte bit her lip; Akko knew it was low to guilt trip them, but she had been having a rough time this year.

"So…are you guys gonna report me?" Akko asked them, grinning.

"Oh – of course not – but honestly, Akko – " Lotte started.

"Let's see what's on the menu," said Akko cheerfully, bumping her way into the bench with Sucy and grabbing her own. "Whoo, the Golden Shachihoko Special looks delicious, but the Milky Way of Summer Memories looks good, too. The Frozen Evergreen might be good, but it's way too cold for that. Maybe during the spring."

"How does she understand the menu?" Lotte whispered to Sucy.

"Must be her Japanese blood," Sucy muttered in return.

When they had paid for all their sweets, the three of them left Ama Usa An for the blizzard outside.

Blytonbury was like a Christmas card; great stone buildings decorated with lights and holiday wreaths hanging from the lampposts, all covered in a layer of crisp snow.

Akko shivered; unlike the other two, she didn't have her cloak. They headed up the street, heads bowed against the wind, Lotte and Sucy shouting through their scarves.

"There's the Magic Item Store –

"The post office is up there – "

"We could go up to the Woodward Forest – "

"Tell you what," said Lotte, her teeth chattering, "shall we go for a cup of coffee at the Rabbit House?"

Akko was more than willing; the wind was fierce and her hands were freezing, so they crossed the road, and in a few minutes, were entering the small café.

It was extremely crowded, noisy, warm, and the air was thick with the aroma or freshly brewed coffee. Three girls around their own age were walking around the tables in matching uniforms of pink, blue and purple.

"It looks crowded," said Lotte, frowning as she looked around. "I don't see anywhere to sit."

"Miss Jansson, is that you? Hey, over here!"

They looked over at a table in the back of the room to a table sitting between a window and a handsome Christmas tree. Akko immediately spotted the boy they had met at Spellbinders in London waving them down – Frank, if she recalled correctly. The three of them walked over and Frank's eyes seemed to light up when he looked at Lotte, his brilliant smile seemed directed specifically toward her. Akko snickered behind her hand and was ready to tease Lotte when someone set their cup down and she realized that Frank wasn't sitting alone. There was another boy sitting across from Frank, wiping his mouth delicately with a napkin. The boy turned to look at them, and he and Akko let out a surprised gasp simultaneously.

"Andrew?"

"Miss Kagari?"

She could hardly believe it, but it was actually Andrew Hanbridge, and even more surprising, he was wearing casual clothes instead of his usual crisp, clean business suit.

"W-What are you doing here?" Akko sputtered without thinking.

"I _was_ trying to enjoy a refreshing cup of Kilimanjaro until you showed up," said Andrew with an irritable sigh as he took a sip.

"I mean, _how_ are you here?" said Akko. "London is supposed to be, like, a million miles away from here."

"We attend school at Appleton Academy nearby," Frank chimed in before Andrew could retort, no doubt in a rude fashion. "Students at Appleton are allowed to leave campus and visit Blytonbury on certain weekends."

"I never realized that our schools were so close to each other," said Lotte with a thoughtful look.

"That's because Appleton and Luna Nova have a long history of hating one another," said Andrew bluntly. "Appleton is particularly famous for supporting the early witch hunts, and some of the students still practice it today. Of course, you don't have to worry about either of us," he added when Akko started shooting him an accusing glare. "I have more important things to do than getting caught up in old, outdated traditions, and Frank is absolutely enamored by witch. In fact, ever since our trip to London in the summer, he has been talking nonstop about Miss – "

"Hey, Miss Jansson!" Frank suddenly shouted, jumping out of his seat as it were electrified. "Why don't we buy some drinks? It'll be my treat!"

"Oh, thank you, Frank," said Lotte, looking surprised, but nonetheless smiled. "That's very nice of you."

Frank walked around the table, offered up his arm to Lotte, and the two of them walked over to the counter where a dapper-looking man was cleaning glasses.

"Your friend is totally crushing on Lotte, isn't he?" Akko said to Andrew once they were out of earshot.

"It would seem that way," said Andrew with an amused chuckle as Akko and Sucy sat down. They sat silently for a long, awkward moment while Andrew sipped his coffee, then he set the cup down and looked at Akko with a very serious expression. "Are you okay, Miss Kagari?"

"What do you mean?" asked Akko, blinking surprisingly; that came completely out of nowhere.

"I heard about what's been happening at Luna Nova – Diana and I contact each other regularly," said Andrew. "First that Izetta woman broke into the castle, then you were set upon by those dreadful Heartless creatures, and I heard you lost your broomstick. I don't particularly understand the loss, but Diana made it seem like you were taking it rather hard. I just wanted to know that you were all right…because you're Diana's friend, not because I genuinely care, of course."

Akko would have called Andrew a Tsundere, but she doubted anyone but her would understand what that meant. And though she appreciated Andrew trying to be nice, which was a shock in and of itself, it brought up a lot of horrible reminded that Akko had hoped Blytonbury would make her forget about, even temporarily. Thankfully, Frank and Lotte came back carrying three cups of steaming hot coffee.

"Merry Christmas!" Frank said happily, raising his cup.

Akko drank deeply. She didn't drink coffee regularly and she assumed that it would be bitter, but it was actually the most delicious thing she'd ever tasted and seemed to heat every bit of her from the inside.

A sudden breeze ruffled her hair. The door of the Rabbit House had opened again. Akko looked over the rim of her cup and choked.

Professor Finnelan and Akane had just entered the café with a flurry of snowflakes, shortly followed by Elma, who was deep in conversation with an excessively rotund man with a thick, bushy beard – Crawford Seam, the Chairman of the Magic Council.

In an instant, Lotte and Sucy had both placed hands on the top of Akko's head and forced her out of her seat and under the table. Dripping with coffee and crouching out of sight, Akko clutched her empty cup and watched the teachers' and Crawford's feet move toward the bar, pause, then turned and walk right toward her.

Lotte whipped her wand out next to Akko's head, and waved it with energy coming off the end.

The Christmas tree beside their table rose a few inches off the ground, drifted sideways, and landed with a soft thump right in front of their table, hiding them from view. Staring through the dense lower branches, Akko saw four sets of chair legs move back from the table right beside theirs, then heard the grunts and sighs of the teachers and chairman as they sat down.

"Uh…Miss Kagari," said Andrew, giving her a strange look as he peeked under the table. "Is there a reason you've decided to become acquainted with my shoes?"

"Our teachers are over there," Akko whispered, pointing through the branches. "And I might, sort of, technically, possibly, may not have permission to be in Blytonbury."

"Oh, Miss Kagari…," Andrew let out an anguished sigh, shaking his head.

"Please don't say anything, Andrew!" Akko pleaded. "Please!"

Andrew rolled his eyes, but nonetheless sat back up and continued to sip away at his coffee as if nothing happened.

A few moments later, another pair of feet, wearing polished black shoes, came into view and they heard a man's deep voice.

"One original blend – "

"That would be mine," said Professor Finnelan's voice.

"One Brazilian Santos – "

"Thank you, Takahiro," said Elma.

"One Café Cappuccino – "

"Mmm!" said Professor Akane, smacking her lips.

"So then you'll be the Lemon Black Tea, Chairman."

"Thank you, Takahiro, good sir," said Crawford's voice. "Lovely to see you again, I must say. How is your daughter doing these days?"

"She is a hard worker and has made many good friends," said Takahiro proudly. "If that will be all – "

"Nonsense, you simply must join us, Takahiro," said Crawford. "It's been such a long time since you retired from the military. We hardly see you anymore. Come and join us…."

"Well, I suppose Chino and her friends have things well handled for now."

Akko watched the polished shoes march away and back again. Her heart was pounding uncomfortably in her throat. Why hadn't it occurred to her that this was the last weekend of term for the teachers too? And how long were they going to sit there? She needed time to sneak back into Ama Usa An if she wanted to return to school tonight…. Lotte's leg gave a nervous twitch next to her.

"So, what brings you to this neck of the wood, Chairman?" came Takahiro's voice.

Akko saw the lower part of Crawford's thick body twist in his chair as though he were checking for eavesdroppers. Then he said in a quiet voice, "What else, Takahiro, but Izetta? I daresay you heard what happened up at Luna Nova at Halloween?"

"I did hear a rumor," admitted Takahiro.

"Did you tell the whole town, Professor Kowata?" said Professor Finnelan exasperatedly.

"Do you think Izetta is still in the area, Chairman?" whispered Takahiro.

"I'm sure of it," said Crawford shortly.

"You know that the Heartless have searched the whole town twice?" said Takahiro, a slight edge in his voice. "They've scared Chino and Cocoa many times…the poor girls didn't leave their rooms for a whole day."

"Takahiro, I don't like them any more than you do," said Crawford uncomfortably. "Necessary precaution…unfortunate, but there you are…. I've just met some of them. They're in a fury against Holbrooke – she won't let them inside the castle grounds."

"I should think not," said Professor Finnelan sharply. "How are we supposed to teach with those horrors crawling around?"

"Hear, hear!" shouted Professor Akane.

"All the same," demurred Crawford, "they are here to protect you all from something much worse…. We all know what Izetta's capable of…."

"Do you know, I still have trouble believing it," said Takahiro thoughtfully. "Of all the people to turn to the dark side, Izetta was the last I'd have thought…I mean, I remember her when I was still a boy working for my father in this very shop and I met Izetta, who was still a student at Luna Nova. If you had told me then what she was going to become, I'd have thrown you out the door."

"You don't know the half of it," said Crawford gruffly. "The worst she did isn't widely known."

"The worst?" said Takahiro, his voice alive with curiosity. "Worse than murdering all those people, you mean?"

"I certainly do," said Crawford.

"I can't believe that. What could possibly be worse?"

"You say you can remember her at Luna Nova, Takahiro," murmured Professor Finnelan. "Do you remember who she was always with?"

"Naturally," said Takahiro, with a small laugh. "Never saw one without the other, did you? She always followed her around like a baby duck follows its mother. I swear, I have never met any sisters closer than Chariot and Izetta Du Nord."

Akko dropped her cup with a loud clank. Sucy kicked her.

"Precisely," said Professor Finnelan. "Izetta Du Nord looked up to her older sister almost much as her daughter does. Chariot was the ringleader of their little gang, but you could tell that Izetta was the prodigy. Together, they could do spectacular things. Unfortunately, they were also the biggest trouble makers in Luna Nova's history."

"I don't know," chuckled Elma. "I think Amanda O'Neill's group could give them a run for their money."

"I remember them when I was a student, too," said Professor Akana. "They were inseparable, even when they were sorted into different Houses."

"Of course they were," said Crawford. "Chariot Du Nord loved her sister beyond anyone else. Nothing changed when they left school. Izetta was the maid of honor when Chariot married. Then she named her godmother to Akko. Akko has no idea, of course. You can imagine how the idea would torment her."

"Because Izetta turned out to be in league with the Eclipse Queen?" whispered Takahiro.

"Worse than that…." Crawford dropped his voice and processed in a sort of low rumble. "Not many people are of this, but Chariot Du Nord was actually the leader of a secretive group that was working under the direct orders of the Magic Council. It was such a deep secret that the only people who knew about it were the Twelve Seats of the Magic Council."

"What was the purpose of this group?" asked Takahiro.

"I don't suppose you heard of the Gospels of Aradia, have you?" muttered Crawford; Professor Finnelan made a scoffing noise, but said nothing. "They were a series of three books that held powerful prophecies – world-changing prophecies. As it just so happened, the House Du Nord had passed down the first book – the Book of Dawn – for generations, carefully examining and interpreting the texts for hundreds of years. After the years went by, Chariot noticed that several key points of the book's prophecies were coming to pass and brought it to the attention of the Magic Council. We, of course, knew that this meant the coming of the Star-Born Child, whose birth would lead to the revival of the Golden Age of Magic. With the Magic Council supporting her, Chariot gathered a number of followers to ensure that the prophecy came to pass. I think you can already guess who the first people she recruited were…."

"Her friends from Luna Nova, including Izetta," said Takahiro solemnly. "But Izetta betrayed them?"

"She did indeed. You see, while Chariot was gathering followers for her cause to ensure the arrival of the Star-Born Child, Izetta was working behind the scene. She was converting members of Chariot's group to her side and planning a coup against her own sister."

"A coup?" Takahiro repeated in surprise.

"Chariot wasn't the only one who had access to the Book of Dawn. As a member of the House Du Nord, Izetta knew just as well about the prophecy of the Star-Born Child and planned to use it to her advantage. She slowly and silently started turning the members – Cinder Fall, Ruvik, and the like."

"So she was gathering followers for the Eclipse Queen right under Chariot's nose," said Takahiro. "What was she planning to do? From what I remember, even if Izetta was a prodigy, Chariot still had the Shiny Rod. Even if Izetta had planned a coup, they wouldn't have stood a chance against her as long as she had her Shiny Rod."

"Yes, and Izetta knew that as well," said Crawford gravely. "But then, she made a startling discovery. Not many people are aware of this, and I know I can trust you to keep a secret, but as fate would have it…Chariot learned that she was to be the mother of the Star-Born Child."

"What?" Professor Finnelan hissed; Akko could hear her tea cup slamming on the table. "That's preposterous! You can't honestly expect me to believe that this so-called 'child of prophecy' is really…Atsuko Kagari? Now I know that's a load of dung. Miss Kagari is _the_ single worst student in the history of Luna Nova, and you expect me to believe that she is some kind of…magical messiah?"

"Given her track record, I don't blame you for being skeptical," said Crawford. "But it is true. Atsuko Kagari was born in the Grand Triskelion on the night when magic returned to our world. And when that night happened, Izetta saw a chance to enact her coup. Chariot, who was weak from giving birth to her daughter, was helpless to defend herself when the traitors finally decided to cast off their ruse and openly pledge their loyalty to the Eclipse Queen. I cannot tell you what occurred during the battle at the Grand Triskelion because I was not there when it happened, but it seemed that while the traitors revealed themselves, Izetta continued to feign loyalty to Chariot and openly defended her."

"But why would she do that if she was the one who started the coup?" asked Takahiro curiously.

"Isn't it obvious," said Elma. "If she could maintain the disguise that she was still loyal to Chariot's group, then she could trick Chariot into handing over Kagari and make a run for it on the assumption that she was taking her somewhere safe. But in truth, she was planning to take her for her own wicked deeds."

"Fortunately, that never panned out," said Crawford, sounding very relieved. "Something happened at the Grand Triskelion – something odd. From what I gathered from Professor Croix and Blair's accounts, the magic contained in the Grand Triskelion interacted with Miss Kagari, causing the seal to break and explode outwards. That was the explosion that caused the magic to drain from the Ley Lines and be released into the atmosphere, creating the world we now live in. Needless to say, the explosion ended the battle swiftly – the forces of the Eclipse Queen had fallen; most of them captured and thrown into Dol Guldur, other escaped and went into hiding. This had left Izetta in a very nasty position indeed. She had not planned for what would happen should the coup fail and knew it was only a matter of time before one of them sold her out. She had no choice but to run for it – "

A long silence followed Crawford's story. Then Takahiro said with some satisfaction, "But she didn't manage to escape, did she? The Magic Council caught up with her the next day!"

"Alas, if only we had," said Crawford bitterly. "It was not we who found her. It was Charlotte Jansson – another of Chariot's friends and a member of their secret organization."

Akko heard Lotte's breath hitch from above the table and her hand suddenly fell limp at her side.

"Maddened by grief, no doubt, and discovering that Izetta had been the traitor, she and her husband went after Izetta themselves."

"Charlotte Jansson…do you mean Charlotte Holbrooke, the headmistress's daughter?" said Takahiro.

"Yes, and we had all assumed she would take care of herself," said Professor Finnelan. "But we were wrong. Though she was an astounding witch, she was nowhere near the in the same league as Izetta talent-wise. She was always such a good student and a wonderful person. Everyone loved her. And she's…she…." She sounded as though she had a sudden head cold.

"There, now, Anne," said Crawford kindly. "She and her husband died a hero's death. Eyewitnesses told us how Charlotte and Izetta confronted each other in the middle of Zurich during the busiest hour. They say that Charlotte was sobbing, like she was afraid. I can image why. And then Charlotte and Izetta reached for their wands and the resulting explosion caused the catastrophe we all saw. Izetta survived, as we all know, but Charlotte and her husband…their bodies were so mangled by the time we got there that it took several days to identify them among the others."

Professor Finnelan blew her nose and said thickly, "Why her…why did it have to be her…she had just become a mother…poor Lotte…I can't even imagine what that must be like, to grow up without her parents…."

"I tell you, if I had gotten to Izetta before Charlotte did, I wouldn't have messed around with wands – I'd have ripped her limb – from – limb," Elma growled.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Elma," said Crawford sharply. "Nobody but trained Rune Knights from the Custody Enforcement Unit would have stood a chance against Izetta once she was cornered. I was Junior Executive Head of Disaster Relief at the time, and I was one of the first on the scene after Izetta murdered all those people. I - I will never forget it. I still dream about it sometimes. A crater in the middle of the city, so deep it looked like it had been struck with a meteor. Bodies everywhere. People screaming. And Izetta standing there screaming and crying at the top of her lungs…with splatters of Charlotte's blood all over her front…."

Crawford's voice stopped abruptly. There was the sound of five noses being blown.

"Well, there you have it, Takahiro," said Crawford thickly. "Izetta was taken away by members of the Custody Enforcement Unit and Charlotte Jansson received an Order of Morgan, First class, which I think was some comfort to poor Professor Holbrooke. Izetta's been in Dol Guldur ever since."

Takahiro let out a long sigh.

"Is it true that she's insane, Chairman?"

"I wish I could say she was," said Crawford slowly. "I certainly believe her failure at the Grand Triskelion unhinged her for a while. The murder of Charlotte Jansson, her husband, and all those people was the action of a cornered and desperate woman – cruel…pointless. Yet I met Izetta on my last inspection of Dol Guldur. You know, most of the prisoners in there sit muttering to themselves in the dark; there's no sense in them…but I was shocked at how _normal_ Izetta seemed. She spoke quite rationally to me. It was unnerving. You'd have thought she was merely bored – asked if I had finished with my newspaper, cool as you please, said she missed doing the crossword. Yes, I was astounded at how little effect the Heartless seemed to be having on her – and she was one of the most heavily guarded in the place, you know. Heartless outside her door day and night."

"But what do you think she'd broken out to do?" said Takahiro. "You don't think she's going to rejoin the Eclipse Queen, do you?"

"I daresay that is her – er - eventual plan," said Crawford evasively. "But we hope to catch Izetta long before that. We have reason to believe that she may try to reclaim all her old followers…it will be a repeat of last time…."

There was a small clink of glass on wood. Someone set down their cup.

"You know, Chairman Seam, if you're dining with the headmistress, we'd better head back up to the castle," said Professor Finnelan.

One by one, the pairs of feet in front of Akko took the weight of their owners once more; hems of their uniforms swung into sight, and Takahiro's polished shoes disappeared behind the bar. The door to the Rabbit House opened again, there was another flurry of snow, and the teachers disappeared.

"Miss Jansson…are you all right…?" said Frank's hesitant voice.

Akko didn't need to see Lotte's face to know it shared the same horror-stricken expression as her own.

* * *

 **This is quite possibly the heaviest chapter I have ever written. What started out as a delightful venture of mischief quickly turned into a tragic tale that strikes at both the hearts of Akko and Lotte alike. These two have always been the best of friends ever since they first met, but now that this new truth has come to light, could this new information put their friendship in jeopardy? It's a tangled web of secrets and hidden connections that will hopefully soon come to light.**

 **Next Chapter: The Shiny Balai**


	11. The Shiny Balai

**Akko Kagari and the White Witch**

 **Chapter Eleven: The Shiny Balai**

Akko didn't have a very clear idea of how she had managed to get back into the Ama Usa An kitchen, through the tunnel, and into the castle once more. All she knew was that the return trip seemed to take no time at all, and that she hardly noticed what she was doing, because her head was still pounding with the conversation she had just heard.

Why had nobody ever told her? Professor Holbrooke, Blair, Croix, Ursula...why hadn't anyone ever mentioned that the reason Chariot had been forced to abandon her only daughter was because her own sister had betrayed her?

Sucy had been the one to inform the rest of their friends what happened at the Rabbit House. Everyone watched Akko nervously all through dinner, especially Diana, no one daring to bring up the subject, because Elma and Professor Ymir were sitting at the next table over. The only person who didn't seem concerned was Lotte, who was too caught in her own thoughts to pay her any mind, pushing around her vegetable stir fry, but not eating anything. Akko couldn't even imagine how she must have felt; her parents were dead because of Akko's family – Chariot had brought the Janssons into her secret group and Izetta had killed them both, forcing Lotte to grow up without knowing either of them. Lotte didn't speak or even look at Akko since they sat down together, and, if Akko was being perfectly honest, she didn't blame her.

When they went upstairs to the crowded common room, everyone was in their usual end-of-the-term festivities, the excited chatter bouncing off the walls and a couple of fifth years were setting off fireworks on the ceiling. Akko, who was in no mood to celebrate, sneaked quietly up to the empty dormitory and headed straight for her bedside cabinet, not caring for Blair and Mikko's curious stares. She pushed her books aside and quickly found what she was looking for – the picture of her mother that Ursula had given her two years ago. She sat down on her bed, drew the hangings around her, fell back on her pillow, and stared at the photograph in the winter moonlight….

It was the only photo she had of her mother's time in school. Chariot Du Nord was in the center of the picture, her shaggy hair waving as she jumped in mid-cheer. On her left side was a younger Professor Croix and Diana's mother, Athena. And to her right was a teenage Blair with her arm around the youngest of the group…a little girl with bright red hair…Izetta Du Nord….

If she hadn't known it was the same person, she would never have guess it was Izetta in this old photograph. Her face was slightly chubby and full of laughter. Had she already been corrupted by the darkness when this picture had been taken? Was she already planning to betray the people next to her? Did she realize she was facing thirteen years in Dol Guldur, thirteen years that would make her unrecognizable?

 _But the Heartless don't affect her_ , Akko though, staring into the chubby, laughing face. _She doesn't have to see what Chariot saw whenever they get too close –_

Breathing deeply through her nose, Akko crumpled the photograph into a hideous wad and threw it out the curtains. She didn't care if it was the only photo of her mother she had left – what was once a happy memory was now tainted by Izetta's existence. She forcefully pulled off her tunic and hat, throwing them out the hangings without any consideration as to where they might land, and threw herself face first into her pillow.

The curtain was pulled back slightly, and Blair poked her human face inside, eyes filled with worry.

"Akko?" she said uncertainly. "Are you okay?"

"Go away, Blair," said Akko, her voice muffled by the pillow. "I don't want to talk to anyone."

Blair gave pause for a moment, and then left; Akko heard the door to the dormitory close quietly and rolled on her back, eyes wide open.

A hatred such as she had never known before was coursing through Akko like poison. She could see Izetta laughing at her, through the darkness, as though somebody had pasted the picture she just tossed over her eyes. She watched as though somebody was playing her a piece of film, Izetta blasting Charlotte Jansson (who resembled a taller and older Lotte) into a thousand pieces. She could hear a low, excited mutter, "It finally happened…the Star-Born Child will be mine…." And then came another voice, a child's voice, screaming into the night….

* * *

" _Akko, you look like crap_."

Akko hadn't gotten to sleep until daybreak. She had awoken to find the dormitory deserted, she had dressed, and gone down the spiral staircase to a common room that was completely empty except for Constanze, who was taking a blowtorch to another contraption, and a small platoon of active Stan-Bots.

"Where is everyone?" said Akko.

" _Gone! It's the first day of the holidays, remember?_ " said Stan-Bot, just as Constanze cut the flame to the torch. " _It's almost lunchtime; I was gonna come and wake you up in a minute._ "

Akko slumped into a chair next to the fire. Snow was still falling outside the windows. Blair was spread out in front of the fire like a large, purple rug.

" _You really do look like you're sick, you know_ ," Stan-Bot said, hopping on top of Constanze's head as she removed her goggles.

"I'm fine," said Akko.

" _Akko, listen,_ " said Stan-Bot while Constanze leaned in closer, shooting a shifty eye at Blair, " _we completely understand why you'd be upset after yesterday. But the thing is, you shouldn't go doing anything stupid._ "

"Like what?" said Akko.

" _Like trying to go after Izetta,_ " said Stan-Bot sharply.

Akko could tell Constanze had rehearsed this with her Stan-Bots while she had been asleep. She didn't say anything.

" _You won't, will you, Akko?_ " said Stan-Bot. " _Because Izetta's not worth dying for._ "

Akko looked at her. She didn't seem to understand at all.

"Did you know I get visions whenever a Heartless gets too close to me?" Constanze shook her head, looking apprehensive. "I don't know why, but when I was falling off my broom during the race, I saw Shiny Chariot's memories. I could see and hear and feel everything she was doing then. I could see her performing magic, wanting nothing more than to make someone happy. Now I realize that the person she was trying to make happy was Izetta. I could _sense_ how much she loved Izetta…and then Izetta took advantage of her. She knew how much Chariot loved her and she betrayed her anyway. Izetta is the reason I grew up without knowing my real mom and Izetta is the reason Lotte grew up without her parents – "

" _There's nothing you can do about that!_ " Stan-Bot hissed, while Constanze glanced at Blair. " _The Heartless will catch Izetta and she'll go back to Dol Guldur and she'll spend the rest of her life behind bars!_ "

"You didn't hear what Crawford said. Izetta isn't affected by Dol Guldur like normal people are. It's not a punishment for her like it is for the others."

" _So what are you saying?_ " said Stan-Bot, Constanze looking very tense. " _You want to – to kill Izetta or something?_ "

Again, Akko didn't answer. She didn't know what she wanted to do. All she knew was that the idea of doing nothing, while Izetta was at liberty, was almost more than she could stand.

"Diana knows," she said abruptly. "I remember what she said me in Pharmaceutics. She told me she didn't want me going after Izetta like everyone else."

" _Then you should listen to her,_ " said Stan-Bot; Constanze nodded vigorously. " _Listen…Lotte is hurting just as much as you are. She just found out that both her parents were killed by Izetta when she was just a baby, but even she said you shouldn't try going after her. Izetta is insane, Akko, and she's dangerous –_ "

"Diana's mom must have told her," said Akko, ignoring Constanze. "She was one of Chariot's closest friends, right there in her inner circle, so obviously she knew that Izetta betrayed them – "

" _and she didn't say anything to you because she didn't want you getting blown up into a million pieces, like Lotte's parents! Get a grip! Diana didn't want to tell you anything because she knew you would react like this! Please be sensible. Izetta did a lot of terrible things, but don't go putting yourself in danger because of it. That's just what Izetta wants – you'd be playing right into her hands if you went looking for her. Your mom wouldn't want you to get hurt, would she? She'd never want you to go looking for Izetta!_ "

"I'll never know what she wanted, because thanks to Izetta, I've never spoken to her," said Akko shortly.

There was a silence in which Blair stretched luxuriously in her sleep, flexing her claws, rolled over, and curled up again.

" _Look,_ " said Stan-Bot, while Constanze was obviously casting around for a change of subject, " _it's the holidays! It's nearly Christmas. Let's – let's go hang out with Diana. That'll cheer you up. You always love spending time with her. I'll bet you she's in the library studying._ "

"Yeah, let's go," said Akko, sitting up, "and I can ask her how come she never mentioned Izetta after all the years we've known each other."

Further discussion of Izetta Du Nord plainly wasn't what Constanze had in mind.

" _Or we could have a game of chess,_ " Stan-Bot hastily and Constanze waved her arms, " _or – or how why don't we look at your Chariot card collection –_ "

"No, let's go see Diana," said Akko firmly.

So they got their cloaks from their dormitory and set off through the archway, down the cold, empty corridor, their heavy footfalls echoing off the stone walls. The library was on the second floor, so Akko took a secret shortcut behind a portrait of Maria the Virgin Witch, which opened up to a stone slide, where they emerged from a matching portrait directly in the second-floor corridor. Akko turned on her heel in the direction of the library and started stomping her way there when Constanze suddenly pulled her back by the elbow.

"Constanze, you're not going to stop me from – "

The diminutive witch held up one hand to silence her and cupped the other around her ear.

" _There's a weird noise,_ " said Stan-Bot. " _Listen –_ "

Akko cupped both her hands around her ears. Coming from down the hall came a series of low, choked noises.

" _Think we should go get someone?_ " said Stan-Bot while Constanze looked nervous.

Akko was already impatient for being distracted from her objective and swooped around the corner before Constanze had a chance to stop her. Standing in the middle of the hall was Professor Croix, carrying a fishbowl in her arms which contained the scaly Professor Pisces. They were both looking down sadly at Wendy, whose face was buried in her hands, failing to hide her muffled sobs. Diana was also standing a few feet away, purposely keeping her distance from the three while staring out the frost-covered window. Professor Croix slowly turned toward them just as Constanze came around.

"I don't suppose you have come hearing the news as well," she spoke in a hollow sort of voice.

"What…what happened?" said Akko, her anger forgotten and replaced with great concern. "Diana, do you – "

Diana said nothing, she didn't even turn around to look at her, but she did point at something on the ground. Akko spotted an official-looking letter lying open on the floor.

"What's this?"

Wendy's sobs redoubled; Akko slowly bent down, picking up the letter, held it up so that Constanze could see, and read aloud:

 _ **Dear, Miss Pisces,**_

 _ **Further to our inquiry into the attack by a Qilin on a student in your class,  
we have accepted the assurances of Professor Holbrooke that you bear no  
responsibility for the regrettable incident.**_

"Well, that's okay, then, professor!" said Akko, petting the side of Professor Pisces's fishbowl; she didn't seem to like that. But Wendy continued to sob, and Croix waved her hand, inviting Akko to read on.

 _ **However, we must register our concern about the Qilin in question. We  
have decided to uphold the official complaint of Ms. Daryl Cavendish, and  
this matter will therefore be taken to the Department of Magical Wildlife.  
The hearing will take place on April the 20**_ _ **th**_ _ **, and we ask you to present  
yourself and your Qilin at the Department's offices in Era on that date.  
In the meantime, the Qilin should be kept tethered and isolated.**_

 _ **Yours in fellowship….**_

There followed a list of the school governors.

"Oh," said Akko. "But you said Qing isn't a bad Qilin, Professor Pisces. I bet they'll let him go – "

"You don't know those monsters in the Department of Magical Wildlife!" Wendy choked, wiping her eyes on her sleeves. "They don't pass fair judgment on creatures because they can't defend themselves! All it takes is for one mistake for them to decide something is too dangerous and then kill it!"

" _It sounds like you have some experience with them_ ," said Stan-Bot.

"Back in the mountain village where I grew up," said Wendy, sniffling, "there was a manticore that lived in the caves nearby. It was a nice manticore that loved to play with all the kids, and it even helped the adults plow the fields when the weather was too hot. But one day, a kid tripped on its stinger and got poisoned. The Department decided that it was too dangerous to be allowed to live and exterminated it, despite all the villagers protesting."

A sudden sound was coming from the window that Diana was looking through as she opened it partially, making Akko, Constanze and Wendy whip around. Akko walked over and leaned her head outside, spotting Qing the Qilin in the middle of the grounds, chained to a post, chomping on something that was too far away to see. Professor Pisces made a bunch of bubbling noises:

"Professor Pisces says we're keeping him tied up there for the holidays," said Croix, joining them by the window with the fishy teacher. "When the students come back, we plan on isolating him in the dungeons."

Akko, Wendy, and Constanze looked at one another while Diana continued to stare blankly outside.

" _You'll have to put up a good strong defense, professor,_ " said Stan-Bot; Constanze nodded vigorously. " _I'm sure you can prove Qing is safe._ "

"It won't make any difference," said Diana distantly, as if she were a thousand miles away. "The Cavendish Family holds a considerable amount of influence in the Magic Council, and Aunt Daryl is the current Head of House. Beyond that, she is a shrewd and calculating snake. No doubt she's already influenced the decision of the Department of Magical Wildlife."

Wendy gave a great wail and lurched forward, burying her face into Croix's cape. Croix, who absolutely loved her cape, did not try to stop her, but she did move Professor Pisces' fishbowl to the windowsill so that she wouldn't drop her.

"What about Professor Holbrooke?" said Akko.

"She has already done a considerable amount to keep Professor Pisces from being fired," said Croix, translating the fish teacher's bubbles. "The Headmistress has already got enough on her plate what with keeping the Heartless out of the castle, and Izetta lurking around – "

Constanze looked quickly at Akko, as though expecting her to start berating Croix and Diana for not telling her the truth about Izetta. But Akko couldn't bring herself to do it, not now when everyone was so miserable and scared.

"Listen, Professor," she said, leaning close to Professor Pisces' bowl, "you can't give up. Constanze is right, you just need a good defense. You can call us as witnesses – "

"It's pointless, Akko," said Diana, still never looking their way. "Aunt Daryl will have the best legal team in the country to present the case – probably Blackquill or Von Karma."

"How can you just give up like that?" Akko spat at Diana. "The Diana I know wouldn't just roll over and accept it?"

" _Sybilladura Lelladybura_ ," Diana spoke in an absent sort of voice. "All we can do now is accept what happened and move on."

"Well, you obviously don't know me very well," said Akko defiantly. "I'm not going to quit and we can't afford to fall to pieces just because one bad thing happened! We gotta pull ourselves together and come up with a solution on how to get Qing off! Professor Croix, you're smart and you know how things work in the Magic Council, don't ya. There must be something we can do."

"I'm not going to pretend that I know anything about how the justice system works in the Magic Council," said Croix, frowning. "I've only ever been to one trial and that was my own, when I got expelled from Luna Nova. Besides that, I'm too busy with my classes and my projects that I don't really have time to spend a hundred hours looking up old cases. And all these Heartless roaming around the edge of the ground aren't helping my mentality" – she gave a quick shudder – "Gotta walk past them every time I want a drink at the Rabbit House. It's like being back in Dol Guldur – "

She fell silent, leaning against the wall while staring at nothing. They had never heard Croix talk about her brief spell in Dol Guldur before. After a pause, Stand-Bot said, " _Was it really that bad there, Professor?_ "

"'Bad' is an understatement," said Croix quietly. "Never been anywhere like it. Thought I was going to lose my mind. Keep going over horrible stuff in my head…the day I got expelled from Luna Nova…the day my dad died…the day I had to say good bye to…."

She took a deep breath through her nose as if trying to keep herself from crying. She shook her head wildly.

"You can't really remember who you are after a while. And you can't see the point of living at all. I used to hope I'd just die in my sleep, that the darkness would just swallow me up and I'd be at peace…. When they let me out, it was like being born again, everything came flooding back, it was the best feeling in the world. Of course, the Heartless weren't happy with letting me go."

"But you were innocent!" said Wendy, pulling herself from Croix's cape.

Professor Pisces gurgled.

"Right you are, Professor," said Croix, nodding to the goldfish. "The Heartless don't care if a man is innocent or not. As long as they've got a couple hundred Demi-Humans stuck there with them, so they can leech all the light from their hearts, they're perfectly content whether someone is guilty or wrongfully accused."

Croix went quiet for a moment, leaning back and staring at the ceiling. Professor Pisces made more gurgling noises, which she translated: "Don't be so foolish, Professor Pisces. Even if you just let that Qilin go…and somehow convinced it to fly away…how would you explain to the Department of Magical Wildlife why it went into hiding? They would string you up by your gills, persecute you for tampering. Trust me, Professor, one Qilin isn't worth being sent to Dol Guldur for…."

The surprise trip, though far from fun, had nevertheless had the effect Constanze had hoped. Though Akko had by no means forgotten about Izetta, she couldn't brood constantly on revenge if she wanted to help Professor Pisces and Wendy win their case against the Department of Magical Wildlife. She and Constanze went to the library the next day and returned to the empty common room laden with books that might help prepare a defense for Qing. The two of them and an army of Stan-Bots sat around the roaring fire, slowly turning pages of dusty volumes about famous cases of marauding beasts, speaking occasionally when they ran across something relevant.

" _Here's something…,_ " said Stan-Bot #4. " _There was a case in 1923…but the harpy was convicted – ugh looked what they did to it, that's disgusting –_ "

" _This might help,_ " said Stan-Bot #9. " _Look – a basilisk killed a girl in a bathroom in 1992, and they let the Basilisk off – oh – no, that was only because everyone thought the girl was incredibly annoying and nobody cared enough to put it on trial…._ "

Meanwhile, in the rest of the castle, the usual magnificent Christmas decorations had been put up, despite the fact that hardly any of the students remained to enjoy them. Thick streams of holly and mistletoe were strung along the corridors, mysterious lights shone from inside every suit of armor, and the Dining Hall was filled with its usual nine Christmas tree, glittering with neon-green stars. A powerful and delicious smell of cooking pervaded the corridors, and by Christmas Eve, it had grown so strong that even Blair was finding ways to escape the common room on the hunt for the delicious smell in the air.

On Christmas morning, Akko was woken by Constanze jumping on her bed and landing on her legs. Akko shot up, blinking blearily, as Constanze thrust a fancy-wrapped package in her face with an excited smile.

"Oh…presents…," Akko mumbled. "Hold on…let me get up…."

Constanze bounced off and pounced over to her own bed. Akko squinted through the semi-darkness to the foot of her bed, where a small heap of packages had appeared. Constanze was already ripping the paper off her own presents.

" _A new rotatory circuit from Professor Croix…just what I needed for my project…these things are so expensive…._ "

Akko started on her presents at a much slower pace. It was the usual haul this year – gifts from her parents and friends back in Japan, some packages from Lotte and Diana, though Amanada, being the cheapskate that she was, decided to bum off on Jasminka's present and wrote her name on the tag, and, of course, Akko tossed Sucy's present out the window without bothering to open it, not surprised that it exploded on the grounds moments later. As she moved all these things aside, she saw a tiny, almost unnoticeable box at the very bottom of the pile.

" _What's that?_ said Stan-Bot, looking over, while Constanze unwrapped an entire honey cake from Jasminka.

"Dunno…"

Akko ripped the package open and saw a tiny flickering flame tucked inside. At first, it didn't seem anything impressive. But then the flame turned…and looked straight up at her. It was a fairy.

She tentatively stretched a finger to touch the flicking fay; she had only ever seen them in them lightning up the corridors or when Lotte summoned them with her song, so she didn't know if they were dangerous to touch or not. But she never had the chance to when the fairy suddenly jumped out of the package with an loud squeal, shooting to the ceiling and circled over their heads like a miniature comet. Akko, Constanze, and Stan-Bot followed the excited fairy with their eyes – Akko started to feel dizzy – when the tiny creature suddenly shot downward, flying underneath Akko's arm, and was headed toward the Shiny Rod lying on her bedside table.

"No, wait!" she yelped.

But it was too late. The fairy hit the Shiny Rod with an explosion of flaming green energy that lit up the dormitory, causing Akko and Constanze to throw up their arms to cover their eyes. When the light dimmed and Akko lowered her arms, her mouth dropped with an inaudible gasp. Constanze dropped her cake all over the floor, her expression almost exactly the same as Akko's.

" _Isn't that…_ " said Stan-Bot slowly.

It was the Shiny Balai, identical to the dream broom Akko had seen on the market street that day in Finland. Its handle glittered as she picked it up. She could feel it vibrating and let go; it hung in midair, unsupported, at exactly the right height for her to mount it. Her eyes moved from the jeweled handle at the top, right down to the three perfectly smooth puffs of bristles that made up the tail.

" _But…how…what did - ?_ " Stan-Bot sputtered, clearly at a loss for words.

"It must have been that fairy," said Akko. "Lotte said they can channel a person's thoughts or feelings. Maybe that fairy was sent by someone who knew the Word."

" _Look and see if there's a card,_ " said Stan-Bot.

Akko ripped apart the box's wrappings.

"Nothing! But who could have sent it? If it was Blair or Professor Croix, they would have just told me themselves."

" _Maybe it was Professor Holbrooke,_ " said Stan-Bot as Constanze walked around the Shiny Balai, taking in every glorious inch. " _She sent you the Ring of Gyges anonymously…._ "

"That was my mom's though," said Akko. "Professor Holbrooke was just passing it on to me. Besides, even if she knew about the Shiny Rod, I don't think she knew anything about how the Words worked. I was under the impression that only the people closest to Shiny Chariot knew about them – "

" _Akko, that's it!_ " shouted Stan-bot suddenly. " _Shiny Chariot! She must have been the one who sent it to you!_ "

"What?" said Akko, snapping her head up so fast she nearly gave herself a whiplash. " _Shiny Chariot_? But…but why now? I mean…she's been missing for over thirteen years. I mean, yeah, she would definitely know how the Words of Arcturus because she had it last, but how would she even know that I had the third Star? No one else knows about it except us."

" _Maybe Blair realized it was missing and figured you had it already,_ " said Stan-Bot. " _She probably told Professor Ursula, and then she must have told Shiny Chariot when she was away while your Shooting Star got smashed. Maybe Shiny Chariot thought you deserved to have the Shiny Balai after that –_ "

"Wait, what do you mean, she was away?" said Akko. "I thought she was watching the match with the other teachers."

" _Actually, she wasn't even in Luna Nova during the weekend,_ " said Stan-Bot. " _I know because Jasminka went to ask her a question about the Foretelling Class, but she wasn't in her office. She asked Professor Croix and she said that Professor Ursula went away for personal business. I remember this because it was the same weekend that Master Noah said he had to take a break for personal business, too…. You don't think Master Noah and Professor Ursula left for the same reason, do you?_ " – Constanze gasped – " _Maybe Professor Ursula is cheating on Professor Croix for Master Noah!"_

"Yeah, I don't see that ever working out," said Akko, laughing. "But really…why would Shiny Chariot decide to do this now?"

"What did Shiny Chariot decide to do?"

Blair just entered the room in human form, lugging a large present no doubt meant for Akko. She struggled with the package for a bit, doing a bit of a quickstep to keep herself from falling over, and finally dumped it on Akko's bed. Blair stood up straight, letting out a relieved sigh, brushing her hair out of her face, and turned to face them. Her round golden eyes first fell on Constanze, then Akko, and ended on the Shiny Balai. She stared, open-mouthed, and the broom, not unlike them moments ago.

"Um…Akko-nyan," she said slowly, almost anxiously so. "Where did you get… _that_?"

"Oh, um, this," Akko chuckled nervously. "I…kinda found another Star, and then this package arrived with a fairy that unlocked it. Don't know who sent it, though."

To her great surprise, Blair did not appear either excited or intrigued by the news. On the contrary, her face fell, and she bit her lip.

" _What's the matter with you?_ " said Stan-Bot.

"I don't know," said Blair, carefully choosing her words. "You just _happened_ to find the Star of Space, and then someone just _happens_ to send you a fairy to unlock the Word? Don't you think that's just a little suspicious?"

"I didn't know it was the Star of Space," said Akko. "But who cares what it's called! It's the _Shiny Balai_! This was the same broom that Shiny Chariot rode during her performances, and it's one of the Seven Stars of Arcturus! The fact that I have it should be a good thing!"

"The Stars of Arcturus are the most powerful magical artifacts in the world," said Blair, furrowing her brow. "I find it hard to believe that it would just happen to fall into your lap. And on top of that, why would someone give you the Word to revive it, and not even tell you they had sent it?"

"Ugh, what's wrong with you, Blair?" said Akko impatiently. "This is the best thing that's happened to me. I just lost Shooting Star, and now the Shiny Balai is mine. I have to try it out."

"I don't think anyone should be testing it out just yet!" said Blair shrilly.

Akko and Constanze looked at her.

"What do you think I'm going to do with it – sweep the floor?" said Akko.

"I can't let you test anything until we know it's safe!" Blair shouted. "That means no flying it until I say so!"

"What do you think's going to happen, anyway?" said Akko, rolling her eyes and groaning exasperatedly. "I thought you said it was my job to collect all the Star of Arcturus so that I can see Shiny Chariot again. You were perfectly fine with me getting the Star of Energy and the Star of Destruction – which I had to fight a giant plague monster for, thank you very much – so what makes this one so different? Is there something about it that you're not telling me? Are you trying to hide something?"

"I'm not hiding anything!" said Blair. "I'm just concerned about your safety is all. Now, Akko-nyan, please hand it over so I can – "

"No! It's mine!" shouted Akko defiantly. "The Shiny Rod chose me, so the Shiny Balai belongs to me, too!"

"You're acting like a child, Akko-nyan!" said Blair irritably. "Just give it to – "

"No!"

Blair growled in annoyance, and without warning, she lunged at Akko with her hand outstretched, reaching for the Shiny Balai. Akko stepped out of the way and fell back on Lotte's bed while Blair tripped over herself and accidentally landed face first against the trunk at the end of Akko's bed, knocking it over and spilling the contents all over the dormitory floor.

Blair's hair suddenly stood on end and she covered her ears, spitting like an angry cat. A shrill, buzzing noise was filling the room. The Truth Bracelet had become dislodged from Akko's old socks and was shaking wrathfully and glowing like fiery metal on the floor.

"I forgot about that!" Akko said, bending down and picking up the Truth Bracelet. "I hardly ever change my socks if I can help it…."

The Truth Bracelet hummed and rattled in her palm. Blair, whose cat-like hearing made the noise ten times louder, hissed and dashed out of the room.

Much to Akko's surprise, the Truth Bracelet all of a sudden went silent, resting peacefully in her hands. She didn't waste a moment to stuff it back inside the socks and threw it into her trunk, burying it underneath her clothes and books. All that could be heard now was the whirling of the Stan-Bots and soft hissing coming from the open door leading to the common rooms.

" _That was kind of strange,_ " said Stan-Bot. " _Why do you think the bracelet reacted to her like that? You think she was lying?_ "

"I think that thing might be busted," said Akko, frowning. "It's been going off every night ever since we got off the train. I had to bury it underneath all my stuff because the noise was keeping me up at night."

" _Still, Blair was really upset when she saw the broom_ ," said Stan-Bot. " _I wonder why…._ "

Akko couldn't think of an answer herself, but ever since the incident, Christmas spirit was definitely thin on the ground in the Polaris common room that morning. Akko refused to return the Shiny Balai to its original form, mostly because she didn't know how to awaken it in the first place, and devoted herself to examining the fine piece of flying equipment, which she had brought down to the common room with her. She laid the Shiny Balai out on the table near the roaring fire, just marveling at how the glow gleamed off the broom's fine details; Constanze got bored after the first five minutes and went off to her secret workshop (and outright rejecting Akko when she asked to see it). The entire time, Blair was sitting on the opposite side of the common room, leering at the Shiny Balai as if it had personally insulted her.

At lunchtime, they went down to the Dining Hall, to find that the tables had been moved against the walls again, and that a single, long table stood in the middle of the room. Professors Finnelan, Croix, Ymir, Hex, Cosmos, and Pisces were there. Diana and Wendy were also there, sitting on opposite sides of the table and looking anywhere but each other.

"Merry Christmas!" said Croix as Akko, Constanze, and Blair approached the table. "We thought that since there are so few of us, it would seem like a waste to use all the dining tables…. Come on! Sit down! Sit down!"

Akko, Constanze and Blair sat down side by side at the end of the table. Akko looked around.

"Aren't the other professors going to join us?" she asked.

"The Headmistress is spending the holidays with her granddaughter," said Professor Finnelan politely. "Professor Kowata went back to the countryside with her sister to visit their cousins. As for Master Noah, he already left the school on personal business."

"Let's forget about that or now and enjoy ourselves! Cracker?" said Croix enthusiastically, offering the end of a large silver noisemaker to Finnelan, who took it reluctantly and tugged. With a bang like a gunshot, the cracker flew apart to reveal a large, pointed witch's hat topped with an animal skull and fur pelt.

Diana eyed the hat with great interest, almost longingly so, but didn't say anything. Croix noticed and grinned; she whipped off Diana's hat and traded it for the animal-skulled one.

"Looks like Beatrix Cavendish has decided to grace us with her presence," said Croix jokingly. "Well, what's everyone waiting for? Let's eat?"

As Akko was helping herself to a heaping pile of roasted turkey smothered in gravy sauce, the doors of the Dining Hall opened again. It was Elma, panting tiredly and leaning against her knees to keep herself supported. She had put on the royal-blue qipao with a golden dragon that she had worn to the Dragon King Festival last year.

"Elma, you are unusually late this evening," said Professor Finnelan, standing up.

"I am truly sorry about that, professor," said Elma, patting her chest to calm her heart before standing straight. "It was that damn Amanda O'Neill again. She sent me a package this morning and I was foolish enough to open it when the letter said it contained free steamed buns. I was in such a haste to eat them that I had not considered it to be a trap. Instead, I open the parcel and a swarm of Cornish Pixies flew out. They destroyed my office and I spent the entire afternoon chasing them. I only just caught the last of them moments ago."

"Once again, you allowed your stomach to take control over your better judgement," said Professor Finnelan, shaking her head with an exasperated sigh. "Just please sit down, the turkey is getting cold – "

Elma hesitantly lowered herself into the empty chair between Professor Finnelan and Professor Hex, lowering her head shamefully and her mouth clenched tight, shooting furtive glances at Professor Finnelan as if she were going to be scolded. It suddenly occurred to Akko that while Professor Holbrooke was away, Professor Finnelan was acting Headmistress of Luna Nova, which meant Akko needed to be extra careful not to give her a reason to expel her. Meanwhile, Wendy, who seemed blissfully unaware of the situation, poked a large spoon into the nearest tureen.

"Borscht, Miss Elma?"

Elma ignored her. She looked around the table with a raised brow and said, "Has anyone seen Professor Ursula? I thought she would be here by now?"

"It would seem that Professor Ursula has also left for the holidays to attend to personal business," said Professor Finnelan, indicating that everybody should start serving themselves. "Honestly, that woman's thoughts are so scattered, requesting a personal leave on such short notice without as much as a warning."

Akko instantly perked up at this new information, looking to Constanze, who seemed to have the same idea.

"Um…Professor," Akko said slowly, her fork hovering over her turkey. "When did Professor Ursula leave exactly."

"Well, if you must know, it was just before shortly after the holidays started," said Professor Finnelan. "She just barged into the Headmistress's office while we were in the middle of a meeting and rudely interrupted us in order to ask permission to leave. That Professor Ursula immediately left the moment Professor Holbrooke gave the word."

"Now that I think about it," said Professor Cosmos, tapping her chin thoughtfully, "she was in quite a hurry when I last saw her. I was walking past her office on my way to the hospital wing to give Porlyusica the Dandelion Fruits she requested for her medicine and I heard such a clatter coming from inside. I thought she might be in trouble, so I knocked on the door. The next thing I knew, she was flying out of the room, her broom in one hand and a backpack in the other, like she was being chased by the hounds of Hell. She didn't even leave through the front doors – she just jumped out the window and took off."

"That's highly unusual, even for Ursula," said Ymir, raising a brow. "Did she say anything to you about it, Professor Croix?"

"Not a word," said Croix, frowning. "She left in such a hurry that she didn't even stop by my office to pick up her medicine. I hope she still has some left over from last month…."

"Uh…and when did Master Noah leave?" said Akko slowly.

"Hmm…it was some time earlier that day, now that I think about it," said Professor Finnelan thoughtfully. "Yes, I remember, it was around the same hour that Master Noah left when Professor Ursula barged in like a stampeding bull…. Why do you ask, Miss Kagari?" she said, eyeing Akko suspiciously.

"Oh, no reason," Akko chuckled nervously; she shot a meaningful glance at Constanze, who nodded in silent agreement.

"Well, I suppose there's no point in worrying about it now," said Croix, though her expression clearly showed that she _was_ worried. "Professor Ursula is a big girl. She can look out for herself. The only thing we should have our minds on is this delicious feast…. Wendy, want a fortune cookie?"

"Why are there fortune cookies at a Christmas feast?" asked Wendy as Croix handed her a bowl of folded baked goods.

"Elma loves them for some reason," said Croix. "Most of the time, she forgets to take the paper out first before eating the cookie."

Chuckling to herself, Wendy took one cookie and broke it in half, proceeding to read the slip of paper.

"'The first person to leave the table will encounter a giant man in a hockey mask holding a machete'," she read aloud. "That is a very random and oddly specific fortune."

Everything was almost normal until the very end of Christmas dinner, two hours later. Full to bursting with turkey, gravy, potatoes, and buttered peas, and still wearing their party hats, Akko and Constanze got up first from the table.

"Which one of you got up first?" asked Croix in a joking tone. "I'm curious to see which one of you will run into the hockey mask-wearing, machete-swinging behemoth first?"

"Don't be absurd," Diana scoffed. "There's no way a piece of paper stuffed in a baked treat could have any prophetic value, even less than that tripe in Foretelling class."

"Gee, someone sounds bitter," said Ymir loudly.

Even Constanze laughed. Akko turned to Blair.

"You coming?" she asked.

"No," Blair muttered. "I want a quick word with Croix."

" _Bet they plan on going down to the bar to get drunk like our first year,_ " said Stan-bot as they made their way into the entrance hall.

But the moment the stepped outside, they were confronted with a hulking man on overalls wearing a hockey mask that looked melted into his face, carrying a machete in one hand and a bag in the other; there was a name tag on his overalls that said 'J. Voorhees'. The three of them stood in the middle of the entrance hall for a long minute…until J. Voorhees handed the bag to Akko.

"Christmas sweets?" said Akko happily, looking into the bag. "You shouldn't have. Thank you, Mr. Voorhees."

" _Going to work on the garden again?_ " asked Stan-Bot.

J. Voorhees nodded and stomped out the front doors toward the grounds.

" _Mr. Voorhees is such a nice gardener,_ " said Stan-Bot. " _And totally not a mass murdering psychopath_."

"Of course, he isn't," said Akko, scoffing at the idea that Mr. Voorhees could kill anyone. "Luna Nova would never hire bad people…. Good night, Mr. Kruger, Mr. Myers!"

Freddy the chef and Michael the window washer waved the good night.

They headed back to the Polaris commons rooms and Akko went straight up to the dormitory, collected the Shiny Balai and the Broomstick Maintenance Kit Diana had given her for her birthday, brought it downstairs, and tried to find something to do to the Shiny Balai. However, there were no misplaced fibers to clip, and the handle was so shiny already it seemed pointless to polish it. She simple picked up where she left off in admiring it from every angle until the archway opened again, and Blair came in, accompanied by Croix and Professor Finnelan.

"Hey, hey, this isn't your House," said Akko, pointing to the two teachers. "You can't be in here."

"We are teachers of this school – we have the right to go where we please," said Professor Finnelan, her lips thinning in a way that she only did when the present company was Akko. Blair walked around to the other side of the sofa and stood firmly with her arms crossed as if trying to block them in.

"So that's it, is it?" said Croix with a deep frown, walking over to the fireside and staring at the Shiny Balai. "Blair just told us that you discovered the Star of Space – completely by accident, by what she said – and then someone sent you a fairy possessing the Word. Is that right, Miss Kagari?"

Akko looked around at Blair. The witch-cat stared back with a stern look in her golden eyes that glowed in the light of the fire.

"May I?" said Croix, but she didn't wait for an answer before pulling the Shiny Balai out of her hands. She examined it carefully from handle to besom. "Hmm…yes, this is the genuine article. I remember when Chariot used to fly this thing to every race…. And you said there was no note at all? No card? No message of any kind?"

"No," said Akko blankly.

"I see…," said Professor Finnelan. "Well, I'm afraid we will have to confiscate this, Miss Kagari."

"W – what?" aid Akko, scrambling to her feet. "Why?"

"It will need to be checked for curses," said Professor Finnelan. "Of course, I am no expert, but I daresay Professor Kiki and Professor Croix will strip it down – "

"Strip it down?" repeated Akko, as though Professor Finnelan was insane.

"It shouldn't take more than a few weeks," said Croix. "You'll have it back if we are sure it is curse-free."

"There's nothing wrong with it!" said Akko, her voice shaking slightly. "Honestly, Professor – "

"You can't know that, Kagari," said Professor Finnelan, "not until you've flown it, at any rate, and I'm afraid that's out of the question until we are certain that it has not been tampered with. We shall keep you informed."

"But – "

"Akko!" Croix snapped, making her flinch. "You are already in enough trouble for not tell any of us that you had the Third Star in your possession this whole time. Don't make it worse on yourself. I will be telling Professor Ursula, of course; she will no doubt wish to deal with you personally. Don't expect her to be kind."

Professor Finnelan and Croix turned on their heels and carried the Shiny Balai out of the archway, which closed behind them. Akko stood, staring after them, the tin of high-finish polish still clutched in her hands. After a moment of horrified disbelief, she rounded on Blair, who was still standing stone-faced.

" _What did you go running to Finnelan and Croix for?_ "

"It was for your safety, Akko!" Blair snapped harshly, even dropping the affectionate 'nyan' at the end of her name. "Remember what Professor Ursula said last year, about Chariot's closet friends being chosen to guard the Seven Stars of Arcturus? The last person to have the Star of Space…was Izetta."

* * *

 **Next Chapter: Echoes**


	12. Echoes

**Akko Kagari and the White Witch**

 **Chapter Twelve: Echoes**

Akko knew that Blair had meant well and was only looking after her, but that didn't stop her from being angry with her. She had been the owner of the same broom as Shiny Chariot for a few short hours, and now, because of her interference, she not only lost the Shiny Rod, but she didn't know whether she would ever see it again. She was positive that there was nothing wrong with the Shiny Balai now, but what sort of state would it be in once it had been subjected to all sorts of anti-curse tests?

When Ursula had returned from her personal trip, she shared the same sentiments as Blair and Croix on the subject when she had called Akko into her office a couple days after Christmas.

"How could you have been so irresponsible as to keep something this important from us, Miss Kagari?" she screamed furiously, slamming her fist on her desk and knocking over the stacks of worksheets. "You know full well that you should have informed us the moment another of the Stars of Arcturus came into your possession! If you had just told us beforehand, we could have avoided this whole mess! I just thank whatever gods may exist that you weren't foolish enough to test the Shiny Balai right away! If anything had happened to you…."

Her voice trailed off with a saddened look in her eyes as she stared at the floor. A sense of guilt suddenly filled Akko's heart; Ursula cared about her more than anyone in the school, almost like a mother, and to know how close Akko was to danger while she was away….

"In any case," said Ursula, her words barely a whisper. "We'll hold on to the Shiny Rod until we are absolutely certain there is no cause for concern."

This had without a doubt been the worst Christmas in Akko's life. All in all, she was glad when the rest of the school returned shortly after New Year, and Polaris Tower became crowded and noisy again.

Amelia O'Neill sought Akko out on the night before term started.

"Had a good Christmas?" she said, and then, without waiting for an answer, she sat down, lowered her voice, and said, "I've been doing some thinking over Christmas, Akko. After your last match, you know. If the Heartless come to the next one…I mean…we can't afford you to – well – "

Amelia broke off, looking awkward.

"I'm working on it," said Akko quickly. "Master Noah said he'd train me to ward off the Heartless. We should be starting this week. He said he'd have time after Christmas."

"Ah," said Amelia, her expression clearing. "Well, in that case – I really didn't want to lose you as an Anchor, Akko. Have you ordered a new broom yet?"

"No," said Akko.

"What! Akko, you can't afford to slack off! Amanda agreed to play the next game again, but we're going to need you to come back some time soon, especially when we're going up against Cavendish and Testarossa!"

"I got the Shiny Balai for Christmas," said Akko.

"The _what_?" said Amelia, looking genuinely confused.

"It was Shiny Chariot's broom," said Akko. "It's supposed to be the fastest broom in existence next to the Shooting Star."

"Wait, seriously? That's amazing, Akko!"

"Don't get too excited, Ame," said Akko gloomily. "I haven't got it anymore. It was confiscated." And she explained all about how the Shiny Balai was now being checked for curses.

"Cursed? How could it be cursed?"

"Izetta," Akko said wearily. "She's supposed to be after me. So Professor Ursula and Professor Croix think she might have sent it."

Waving aside the information that a famous murderer was after her Anchor, Amelia said, "But how could Izetta have sent you a broom? She's on the run! The whole world is on the lookout for her! How could she just walk into a broom shop and buy a broomstick?"

"Well, technically, she didn't have to," said Akko. "I…can't really tell you, but there's a good reason why it could have been Izetta. That's why the professors want to strip it down – "

Amelia went pale.

"I'll go and talk to them, Akko," she promised. "I'll make them see reason…. A legendary broom…to think that we lost Shooting Star, only to be given a new one…. Professor Ursula wants Polaris to win as much as we do…. I'll make her see sense."

* * *

Classes started again the next day. The last thing anyone felt like doing was spending two hours on the grounds on a raw January morning, but Professor Pisces had provided a bonfire full of salamanders for their enjoyment, and they spent an unusually good lesson collecting dry wood and leaves to keep the fire blazing while the flame-loving lizards scampered up and down the crumbling, white-hot logs. The first Foretelling less of the new term was much less fun; Ursula was now teaching them palmistry, in which Diana read Akko's palm lines wrong and somehow came to the conclusion that Akko was somehow born a goat, thoroughly embarrassing her in front of the whole class and leaving her in a bad mood.

It was White Magic that Akko was keen to get to; after her conversation with Master Noah, she wanted to get started on her Anti-heartless lessons as soon as possible.

"Ah, yes," said Master Noah, when Akko reminded him of his promise at the end of class. "Let me see…how about eight o'clock on Thursday evening? The History of Magic classroom should be large enough…. I'll have to think carefully about how we're going to do this…. We can't bring a real Heartless into the castle to practice on…."

"I wonder where he's been going all this time?" said Amanda as their group walked down the corridor, heading for dinner. "He's been skipping a lot of days lately."

"And Professor Ursula keeps disappearing at the same time, too," said Akko. "Isn't that right, Lotte?"

Unfortunately, her best friend refused to speak or even look at Akko. It's been the same thing ever since she came back from holiday. She never said more than necessary and always found an excuse to not be in the same room as Akko if she could help it, constantly appearing to be in a state of depression. Akko could understand Lotte's feelings, but she wasn't going to pretend it didn't hurt.

They were about to turn the corner to the staircase when they suddenly came upon Blair, which was a fairly rare occurrence as Blair is hardly even seen in her human form, constantly favoring her feline self when wandering the halls.

"What are you doing here?" asked Akko immediately.

"If you must know, I've been called to the teacher's lounge," said Blair, leering at Akko defiantly.

"What'd you do this time?" asked Amanda, grinning mischievously. "Did you set off another toilet bomb?"

"I haven't done that in…," she countered silently with her fingers, "two weeks. Honestly, I don't know why I got called. I just got a note this afternoon about someone needing me in the teacher's lounge. They didn't even leave a name or anything. Ooh, perfect, and now I'm late." She said, checking the time on her phone.

" _Wonder why Blair's suddenly being called by the teachers,_ " said Stan-Bot curiously, as the cat-witch trotted down the hall

"Who knows," said Akko in an uncaring tone of voice. "It's not like it's any of our business."

* * *

At eight o'clock on Thursday evening, Akko left Polaris Tower for the History of Magic classroom. It was dark and empty when she arrived, but she lit the lamps and had waited only five minutes when Master Noah turned up, carrying one end of a large trunk, while the other end was being carried by –

"Wendy?" asked Akko surprisingly as they lifted it onto Ymir's desk.

"I hope you don't mind," said Master Noah, stripping off his cloak. "I asked Miss Marvell to remain with us on standby in case anything should happen. Her Sky Dragon Slayer magic is more effective at healing physical and mental stress than anything I'm equipped with."

"Master Noah promised he would help Qing's case against the Department of Magic Wildlife if I helped," said Wendy.

"Okay, then, next question," said Akko, pointing to the trunk, which seemed to be rattling on its own. "What's that thing?"

"Another Bogeyman," said Master Noah. "I've been combing the castle ever since Tuesday, and very luckily, I found this one lurking inside Miss Elma's filing cabinet. It's the closest we'll get to a real Heartless. The Bogeyman will turn into a Heartless when it sees you, so we'll be able to practice on it. I can store it in my office when we're not using it; there's a cupboard under my desk it'll like."

"Okay," said Akko, trying to sound as though she wasn't apprehensive at all and merely glad that Master Noah had found such a good substitute for a real Heartless.

"So…" Master Noah had taken out his water skin, and indicated that Akko should take out her wand. "You probably came into this classroom expecting me to teach you a spell that would ward off the Heartless. Well…that is technically not true."

"What do you mean?" said Akko, feeling very confused.

"What I mean is, you won't be learning a new spell," said Master Noah, "but you will be making it yourself. You will be creating your own original spell."

"Make my own spell?" said Akko nervously. "I can't even pull of regular spells, and you want me to _make one_?"

"It won't be as hard as you think," said Master Noah, smiling. "In fact, based on the testimonies of your teacher's I'd say you're already halfway there."

"What do you mean?" asked Akko, tilting her head.

"Perhaps I should explain better," said Master Noah. "As I said before, killing a Heartless isn't all the difficult as long as you know how to do it. Now in the past, the most common slayers of the Heartless were Keyblade Masters – warriors who could manifest the light of their hearts in physical form, most often in the shape of a key. In ancient times, there were thousands of people who could summon Keyblades, though the practice has fallen into serious decline in the recent centuries. As it stands, there are perhaps only a handful who still know how to perform the ancient art. But that's not the point I'm trying to make. What I am trying to say, is that when you give your light shape, it can become a weapon that will ward off the Heartless. Therefore, we are going to fuse your light with your magic to create a brand new spell."

"Yeah…I kinda lost track halfway," said Akko blankly.

"Now I see why Finnelan has such difficulty dealing with you," said Master Noah, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"He's basically saying we're going to combine the _Luman Cordis_ spell along with another spell to create a new, original spell," Wendy summarized.

"Oh, well, why didn't you say so," said Akko.

Master Noah took a deep breath, and said, "Yes, well, moving on. Based on what I heard from Professor Croix and Professor Ursula, you have already mastered two techniques from the Claiomh Solais – The Shiny Arc and the Shiny Blade. While these spells are indeed powerful, they would not harm the Heartless, for they are darkness incarnate. They are immune to normal magic, which why they are chosen to guard Dol Guldur. Now if you were to channel the light of your heart into these spells, then the Heartless would stand no chance against you."

"But I don't have the Shiny Rod," said Akko. "Professor Croix took it."

"Well, it probably isn't a good idea to use those spells inside the school anyway," said Master Noah. "For now, we're just going to teach you how to channel your heart's light into common spells."

"And how do I do that?"

"While you are casting a spell, you must concentrate, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory."

Akko cast her mind about for a happy memory. She had a lot of happy memories growing up, being raised by loving parents and having tons of wonderful friends, but she didn't think they were strong enough for what Master Noah was looking for. Finally, she settled on the first time she had seen Shiny Chariot on the internet.

"Right," she said, trying to recall exactly as possible the wondering, dream-like feeling she felt that day.

"Now pick a spell," said Master Noah. "Any spell will do. This will only be practice for when you get the Claiomh Solais back. When you are ready, combine the incantation, _Lumen_ , with whichever spell you chosen."

"Okay, I got one…I think," said Akko uncertainly.

"Well, just in case, Miss Marvell, please have your magic ready," said Master Noah. "Now, Akko, are you concentrating hard on your happy memory?"

"Oh – yeah – " said Akko, quickly forcing her thoughts back to that first performance.

"Very good," said Master Noah, nodding. "Right, then – ready to try it on a Heartless?"

"Yes," Akko said, gripping her wand very tightly, and moving into the middle of the deserted classroom. She tried to keep her mind on Shiny Chariot's show, but something else kept intruding…. Any second now, she might see Shiny Chariot's memories again…but she shouldn't think that, or she _would_ see them again, and she didn't want to…or did she?

Master Noah grasped the lid of the trunk and pulled.

A Neo Shadow rose slowly from the trunk, its antenna twitching frantically on top of its narrow head and its glowing, bulbous yellow eyes turning toward Akko. The lamps around the classroom flickered and went out. The Heartless stepped out of the trunk and started walking silently toward Akko, drawing a deep, rattling breath. A wave of piercing cold broke over her –

" ** _Lumen Murowa!_** " Akko yelled. A bullet of green energy hit the Heartless, but did not stop it. " ** _Lumen Murowa! Lumen –_** "

But the classroom and the Heartless were dissolving…. Akko was falling again through thick, white fog, and she suddenly found herself sitting in the middle of a grassy hilltop, under the shade of a great oak tree, and she was sitting next to someone…. Her vision was too cloudy, she couldn't make out the person's face, but she felt safe and warm for some reason –

"Akko!"

Akko jerked back to life. She was lying flat on her back on the floor. The classroom lamps were alight again. Wendy was standing over her with her hands on Akko's head, a warm glow surrounding them. She didn't have to ask what had happened.

"Sorry," she muttered, sitting up and feeling cold sweat trickling down her brow.

"Are you all right?" said Wendy.

"Yes…" Akko pulled herself up on one of the desks and leaned against it.

"Here – " Master Noah appeared, offering a steaming mug. "It's tea – should perk you right back up. I didn't expect you to do it your first time: in fact, I would have been astonished if you had."

"I had another vision," Akko muttered, taking a sip of the tea. "Whenever those Heartless get close, I keep seeing these strange visions – memories that don't belong to me. The first time it happened, I was looking through Shiny Chariot's eyes – "

Master Noah seemed to turn white as a sheet in that moment.

"Akko, if you don't want to continue, I will more than understand – "

"I do!" said Akko fiercely, chugging the rest of the tea, ignoring the burning in her throat. "I've got to! What if the Heartless turn up at the next race when I come back? I can't afford to fall off again. If we lose like that again, we'll lose the Chariot Cup!"

"All right then…," said Master Noah. "You might want to select another memory, a happy memory, I mean, to concentrate on…. That one doesn't seem to have been strong enough…."

Akko thought hard and decided her feelings when she had been chosen to be the Moonlit Witch in her first year had definitely qualified as very happy. She gripped her wand tightly again and took up her position in the middle of the classroom.

"Ready?" said Master Noah, gripping the trunk lid.

"Ready," said Akko, trying hard to fill her head with happy thoughts about the Moonlit Witch ceremony, and not absent thoughts about what was going to happen when the trunk opened.

"Go!" said Master Noah, pulling off the lid. The room went icily cold and dark once more. The Heartless lurched forward, drawing its breath; one veiny hand was extending toward Akko –

" ** _Lumen Murowa!_** " Akko yelled; the green energy smacked harmlessly against the Neo Shadow's chest. " ** _Lumen Murowa! Lumen Muro –_** "

White fog obscured her senses…the classroom faded into darkness and the grassy hilltop returned to her vision, the shadow of the great oak shielding her from the bright sun, the wind blowing in her hair. She turned to her right and the person sitting next to her became so much clearer. She was a woman with strange green hair weaving a ring of flowers…then came a new voice, her voice –

" _Master, are you done yet?_ "

The woman chuckled amusingly.

" _Now, now, please be patient. Many times, you will find that the best things in life are the ones worth waiting for. So just wait a little longer, Jennifer –_ "

"Akko! Akko…wake up…."

Wendy was tapping Akko hard on the face. This time it was a minute before Akko understood why she was lying on a dusty classroom floor.

"I had another vision," Akko mumbled. "But it was different this time. I wasn't looking at Shiny Chariot's memories…it was someone else. There was a woman there…I think she called me Jennifer…."

"…You heard the Great Witch Jennifer?" said Master Noah in a strange voice.

"I…I guess so, if there are no other Jennifers you can think of," Akko muttered uncertainly. "I just don't get it. First time I had a vision, I was watching a memory of Shiny Chariot when she was little, and this time I seeing the Great Witch Jennifer's memories. But Jennifer died like seven hundred years ago, so why would I be seeing these now."

"I have a theory," Master Noah said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "I think it might have something to do with your connection to the Claiomh Solais."

"What do you mean?" asked Akko.

"You, Chariot Du Nord and the Great Witch Jennifer have one thing in common," said Master Noah. "You each were the owners of the Claiomh Solais at one time or another. Perhaps when the Heartless gets close to you, your hearts reacts with the Claiomh Solais, allowing you to temporarily bond with the hearts of its previous wielders across time."

"Is that even possible?" asked Wendy.

"There is a lot we don't understand about the Claiomh Solais," said Master Noah. "Legend says that it has the power to manipulate the seven aspects of reality, including time. I'd say the theory isn't too far-fetched when you think about it in those terms. Although, I'm certain Professor Ursula would not be keen to us testing that theory any further…perhaps we should leave it here for tonight. Creating your own spell is ridiculously advanced…. It might not have been the best idea to suggest putting you through this…."

"No!" said Akko. She got up again. "Just give me one more chance! I'm not thinking of happy enough things, that's what it is…. Hang on…."

She racked her brains. A really, really happy memory…one that she could turn into light…

Her mind wandered back in time to her first year, back when she first met Shooting Star. Their first meeting had nearly resulted in Akko being splattered all over the grounds, but it had been the day she knew she had found a lifelong companion…. Concentrating very hard on how she felt on the times that she and Shooting Star soared the skies together, Akko got to her feet and faced the trunk once more.

"Ready?" said Master Noah, who looked as though he was doing this against his better judgment. "Concentrating hard? All right – go!"

He pulled off the lid of the trunk for the third time, and the Neo Shadow rose out of it; the room fell cold and dark.

" ** _LUMEN MUROWA!_** " Akko bellowed. " ** _LUMEN MUROWA! LUMEN MUROWA!_** "

The voices inside Akko's head had started again – except this time, it sounded as though it were coming from a badly tuned radio – softer and louder and softer again – and she could still see the classroom, and not a grassy hillside. Her extermination spells shot from her wand, but they were glowing with a weak white light instead of their usual lime-green color. All three shots hit the Neo Shadow in the chest and the Heartless scuttled backwards, shrieking, as three new holes appeared in its pitch-black skin –

There was something like the crack of a whip, and the Neo Shadow suddenly vanished; Akko sank into a chair, feeling exhausted as if she had just run a mile, and felt her legs shaking. Wendy put her hands on Akko's back and all the exhaustion she felt was slipping away; her magic was very helpful, Akko thought. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Master Noah forcing the Bogeyman back into the trunk with his waterbending; it had turned into the masked man again.

"Excellent!" Master Noah said, striding over to where Akko sat. "Excellent, Miss Kagari! That was definitely a start!"

"Can we try that again? Just one more?"

"I wouldn't recommend it," said Wendy firmly. "My magic has its limits, you know. If you suffer from the same affliction consecutively, the effectiveness of my spell will start to wear off."

"She's right, you know," said Master Noah. "You've had enough for one night. Anymore and Professor Ursula will be out for my blood. Same time next week?"

"Okay," said Akko. She shakily got to her feet and watched Master Noah extinguish the lamps that had rekindled with the disappearance of the Heartless. A thought had just occurred to her.

"Master Noah?" she said. "Did you know Shiny Chariot? I mean, personally?"

Master Noah turned very quickly.

"What gives you that idea?" he said sharply.

"You keep calling the Shiny Rod the Claiomh Solais. Not everybody knows it's real name. As far as I know, only the people who knew Shiny Chariot ever knew its name."

Master Noah turned away stiffly.

"Yes, it's true, I worked with Chariot Du Nord at one point," he said shortly. "But that's ancient history. You'd better be off, Miss Kagari, Miss Marvell, it's getting late."

Akko and Wendy left the classroom, walking along the corridor and around a corner when they split off, Akko took a detour behind a suit of armor and sank down on its plinth, wishing she had pressed Master Noah more on the subject of Shiny Chariot. If they had met before, then was it possible that he was a part of Chariot's secret organization? And if that was true, then could he have also known about Izetta? There were so many people keeping secrets from her, Akko didn't know what to believe any more.

And then there were these visions she kept having. Terrible though it was to have to be near the Heartless in order to see them, there was a part of Akko that found solace in these visions. If Master Noah's theory was correct, then Akko could have a direct connection to Shiny Chariot and many others who had once wielded the Shiny Rod. To Akko, these were the only times that Akko could share in her mother's feelings and hear her voice. But she'd never be able to create her own original spell if she half wanted to see the visions again….

"Pulls yourself together, Akko," she told herself sternly, slapping her cheeks for good measure. "There's no point in listening to echoes because it won't bring her back any faster. You'd better get a grip on yourself if you want that Chariot Cup."

She stood up and marched back to Polaris Tower, suddenly feeling more heavy-hearted than before the lesson.

* * *

The next Chariot Race began a week after the start of term. Amanda only narrowly managed to secure a third-place victory with the difference from first being only a minor one hundred points. According to Amelia, this was good news for Polaris, who would bump up to second place in they managed to win first or second in the next race. She therefore increased the number of team practices to five a week while Akko observed everyone from the sidelines, coming up with her own strategies on how to beat Diana and Fate in their upcoming matches. This meant that with Master Noah's anti-Heartless classes, which in themselves were more draining than six racing practices, Akko had just one night a week to do all her homework. Even so, she wasn't showing the strain nearly as much as Diana, whose immense workload finally seemed to be getting to her. Every night, without fail, Diana was to be seen in a corner of the library, several tables spread with books. Numerology charts, rune dictionaries, technical blueprints, and files upon file of extensive notes; she barely spoke to anybody and snapped when she was interrupted.

"How is she doing it?" Amanda muttered to Akko one evening as Akko sat finishing a nasty essay on undetectable poisons for Hex (which Sucy, thankfully, was a huge help in). Akko looked up. Diana was barely visible behind a tottering pile of books.

"Doing what?"

"Getting to all her classes!" Amanda said. "I heard her talking to Professor Eruka, that Numerology witch, this morning. They were going on about yesterday's lesson, but Diana couldn't have been there, because she was with us in Professor Pisces' class! And Constanze told me she's never missed a single Modern Magic class, but half of them are at the same time as Foretelling, and Jasminka says she's never missed one of them either!"

Akko didn't have time to fathom the mystery of Diana's impossible schedule at the moment; she really needed to get on with Hex's essay. Two seconds later, however, she was interrupted again, this time by Amelia O'Neill, who was sporting a bright red handprint on her cheek.

"Bad news, Kagari. I've just been to see Professor Ursula about the Shiny Balai She – er - got a little bit upset with me. Told me I had got my priorities wrong. Seemed to think I cared more about winning the Cup than I do about you staying alive. Just because I told her I didn't care if it threw you off, as long as you finished first." Amelia shook her head in disbelief. "Honestly, the way she slapped me across the face like that…you'd think I'd said something terrible…. Then I asked her how much longer she was going to keep it…." She screwed up her face and imitated Ursula's severe voice. "'As long as necessary, O'Neill'…I think it's time you ordered a new broom, Kagari. There's an order form at the back of _Witch Broomstick_... Well, I'll be seeing you, Kagari."

"Your sister is great as a captain," Akko said to Amanda the moment Amelia was out of sight, "but she's horrible as a person."

"At least you don't have to live with her," said Amanda, groaning.

* * *

January faded imperceptibly into February, with no change in the bitterly cold weather. The next Chariot Race was drawing closer and closer, but Akko still hadn't ordered a new broom. And if she didn't participate for three matches in a row, then Amelia would have no choice but to kick her off the team. With that threat hanging over her head, she was now asking Ursula for news of the Shiny Balai after every Foretelling lesson.

"No, Akko, you can't have it back yet," Ursula told her the twelfth time this happened, before she had even opened her mouth. "We've checked for most of the usual curses, but Professor Kiki believes the Shiny Balai might be carrying a Hurling Hex. I will _tell_ you once we've finished checking it. Now, please stop badgering me."

To make matters worse, Akko's anti-Heartless lessons were not going nearly as well as she had hoped. Several sessions in, she was able to produce something of a white light that burned the Bogeyman-Heartless, but her spells were too feeble to drive the Neo Shadow away. Akko felt angry with herself, guilty about her secret desire to visit Shiny Chariot's memories again. It was even more frustrating knowing that she was doing the exact same thing she did in her first year with the Fountain of Polaris and she still hadn't learned.

"You're expecting too much of yourself," said Wendy sternly in their fourth week of practice. "For a thirteen-year-old witch, to make such headway into creating your own magic is a huge achievement. You aren't passing out anymore, are you?"

"I thought the spell would destroy the Heartless or something," said Akko dispiritedly. "Make them disappear – "

"A true light-imbued spell does do that," said Master Noah. "But you've achieved a great deal in a very short space of time. If the Heartless put in an appearance at your next Chariot Race, you will be able to keep them at bay long enough to get back to the ground."

"You said it's harder if there are a lot of them," said Akko.

"I have complete confidence in you," said Master Noah, smiling. "Here – you both earned a drink – something from the Rabbit House. You won't have tried it before – "

He pulled out two cups of coffee from underneath his cloak; Akko took a light sip.

"Mmm," Akko hummed delightfully. "Kilimanjaro…that really hits the spot…."

"How did you know what kind it was?" asked Master Noah, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh – Lotte and Sucy brought a lot of coffee samples back from Blytonbury," Akko lied quickly. "Kilimanjaro just happens to be my favorite."

"I see," said Master Noah, though he still looked slightly suspicious. "Well – let's drink to a good race! I'm sure you both have your opinion of who should win, but seeing as how I am teacher, I shouldn't be taking any sides…"

They drank the coffee in silence, until Akko voice something she had been wondering for a while.

"Where do the Heartless come from?"

Master Noah lowered his cup thoughtfully.

"Hmmm…well, it's impossible to tell where the Heartless truly come from. Some would say they are born in the Realm of Darkness, but it is true that the Heartless are also the physical manifestation of the darkness in men's hearts. Very few people have ever witnessed the birth of a Heartless, as it only happens when the Heartless use their last and worst weapon."

"What's that?"

"There is no name for it, but people refer it as the Heart of Darkness," said Master Noah, with a slightly twisted smile. "It's what the Heartless do to those they wish to destroy utterly. You noticed how the Heartless are made of pure shadow. That is because they do not have a true physical form. Rather, their bodies are made of darkness for the purpose of reaching inside a human's body and taking their hearts clean."

Akko accidentally spat out a bit of coffee, spilling it down her front.

"What – they kill - ?"

"Oh no," said Master Noah. "Much worse than that. You can live without a heart, you know, as long as you still have a soul. But the heart is the core of one's identity. Without it, you'll have no sense of self anymore, no memory, no…anything. You'll be a…Nobody. Without a heart, you'll just wander around as an empty shell until you just…cease to exist. And as for the heart that was stolen, the Heartless will snuff out even the smallest traces of light until it is completely swallowed by darkness, becoming a Heartless. But I've already told you this."

Master Noah drank a little more coffee, then said, "It's the fate that awaits Izetta. It was in the news this morning. The Magic Council have given the Heartless permission to perform the Heart of Darkness if they find her."

Akko sat stunned for a moment at the idea of someone just ceasing to exist. But then she thought of Izetta.

"She deserves it," she said suddenly.

"You think so?" said Master Noah lightly. "Do you really think anyone deserves that?"

"Yes," said Akko defiantly. "For…for some things…"

She would have liked to have told Master Noah about the conversation she'd overheard about Izetta in the Rabbit House, about Izetta being her Akko's aunt and betraying her sister, but it would have involved revealing that she'd gone to Blytonbury without permission, and she knew Master Noah wouldn't be very impressed by that. So she finished her coffee, thanked Wendy and Master Noah, and left the History of Magic classroom.

Akko half wished that she hadn't asked where the Heartless came from, the answer had been so horrible, and she was so lost in unpleasant thoughts of what it would feel like to fade away from existence that she walked headlong into Ursula halfway up the stairs.

"Please watch where you're going, Akko!"

"Sorry, Professor – "

"I've been looking for you in the Polaris common room. Well, here it is, we've done everything we could think of, and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it at all. I don't know how you managed to get a hold of it, but the Star appears to be safe enough to use…."

Akko's jaw dropped. She was holding out the Shiny Rod in its natural state, looking more pristine and magnificent than it ever did.

"I can have it back?" Akko said weakly. "Seriously?"

"Seriously," said Ursula, smiling softly. "The Shiny Balai was your mother's second most used spell, next to the Shiny Arc. I'm sure, wherever she is, she will be proud to know you are riding it as well. Now I suggest you practice extra hard to get a feel for it before Saturday's match. And Akko – _do_ try and win, won't you? Or we'll be out of the running for the eighth year in a row, as Professor Finnelan was kind enough to remind me only last night…."

Speechless, Akko carried the Shiny Rod upstairs and toward the library where she knew her friends were having their regular study night upon Diana's urgency (by which, she meant Diana badgered them until they obeyed). She practically ran into the quiet study hall, ignoring Badcock's hissing, and turned around the bookcase to their usual table. Everyone raised their heads as she came around and Amanda led the excited charge over, grinning from ear to ear.

"She gave it to you? Excellent! Listen, can I have a go on it? Please? Shooting Star never let me ride him, so it'd be nice to ride a fast broom that won't buck me off!"

"Yeah…anything…," said Akko, her heart lighter than it had been in a month.

"What you should do is try to make up with Blair," said Diana; She and Lotte were the only people who hadn't rushed over to her, bent over their work and carefully avoiding her eyes. "She was only trying to help. After all, the last person to have the Star of Space was Izetta. You can't be too careful with her."

"Yeah, I suppose," said Akko. "Actually, where is Blair, anyway? I haven't seen her in a while…."

"Come to think of it, I don't think any of us have actually see Blair in a long time," said Amanda thoughtfully. "She hasn't been coming back to the dorms at all."

"I just assumed she got sick of Akko and ran away," said Sucy. "If I remember right, the last time we saw her was when she was headed to the teacher's lounge."

"But that was over a month ago," said Jasminka, frowning worriedly. "Do you think she's all right?"

" _Blair's a fully capable witch,_ " said Stan-Bot. " _I want to see the Shiny Balai again. Go on, use the Word, Akko._ "

"I…don't actually know it," said Akko, scratching her cheek with a nervous chuckle. "Now that I think about it, it was the fairy that changed the Shiny Rod last time. I don't know what the Word is."

"We really should have seen that one coming," said Barbara, shaking her head.

"Typical Akko," Hannah sighed.

Groaning in disappointment, they all dispersed and reluctantly went back to studying when Diana started giving them the evil eye. Akko hanged her head in shame, tucking the Shiny Rod into her belt with a frown, and approached the table to join them. She noticed that there was an empty seat next to Lotte, but was hesitant to take it. Diana looked up from her work, noticing her dilemma, and gestured insistently with her head. It seemed pointless to delay any longer, so Akko took a deep breath and walked around to Lotte's other side.

"Hey, Lotte," said Akko, waving nervously with a rocky grin. "I um…I got the Shiny Rod back."

"I noticed," Lotte said shortly.

It suddenly felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water down her back.

"Um…can I sit down here?" Akko asked Lotte nervously.

"I suppose so," said Lotte, moving her books aside to clear space for Akko.

Akko slowly planted herself in the seat next to (ex?) best friend, folded her hands on the table, and played with her thumbs. By now, everyone was too distracted to work and were giving Akko and Lotte their undivided attention. That didn't make her feel any less nervous. Lotte seemed to not notice, or at least she was pretending not to, because her hand had not stopped moving once in the middle of making her essay for Annabel Crème's class; the scratching of the pencil was the only noise that broke the awkward silence at the table.

This lasted for all of five minutes when, to everyone's surprise, Sucy was the one that snapped her book shut with a loud _thump_ , making everyone jump in their seat.

"Ugh, enough of this already!" groaned Sucy irritably. "Lotte, stop ignoring Akko, and Akko, stop acting so nervous and twitchy! It was amusing at first, but I swear to the Nine Olde Witches, this song and dance gets old really quick!"

"Wow, Sucy is acting way out of character," Amanda muttered to Diana.

"I guess even she has her limits," Diana replied.

"Ignoring Akko," Lotte repeated, blinking her eyes like she was confused. "I haven't been ignoring Akko…have I?"

"You have said a word to her since the last Blytonbury trip," said Sucy, frowning. "I get that your upset over what you heard. I know I would feel hollow and empty – well, more than usual – if anything happened to my parents and little sisters, but that's no reason to take it out on Akko. She suffered just as much as you have, remember? Her aunt is the one that caused the whole mess and her parents pretty much dumped her on some other people. Akko may be loud, annoying, stupid, completely talentless, probably the biggest loser in the history of the world – "

"I really hope you're going somewhere with this," said Akko, frowning.

" – but she's the best friend that anyone could ever ask for. No matter what, you can always count on her to have your back. And that's why you shouldn't ignore her, Lotte. When you're hurting is the time when you need your friends the most."

Lotte's breath hitched and her nose sniffled and as wiped her eyes underneath her glasses with the sleeve of her tunic. She turned around in her seat facing Akko, looking guilty and downcast.

"I'm…I'm sorry I've been acting distant lately, Akko," Lotte apologized. "It's just…I never got to know my parents, and I never found out what happened to them – granny probably didn't think I was ready to know. So when I heard it from the Chairman of all people, I…I…."

"Hey, hey, you don't have to say anything," said Akko, touching Lotte's shoulder with a soft smile. "I totally get it. It's not your fault. Just…I just want you to know that I'm here for you if you need me. I mean, we're best friends, after all, right?"

"…Right?" said Lotte, nodding with a soft smile.

Without even thinking about it, Akko and Lotte moved forward at the same time and pulled each other into a strong hug.

It seemed like everything was finally going her way, Akko thought. But at precisely the moment when they separated, they heard something slam near the library entrance and a strangled cry from Badcock. The whole table fell silent, staring, petrified, in that direction. Then came repeated scratching noises, growing louder and louder – and then Mikko came leaping into view, carrying something in his mouth, jumping on top of their table and knocking the books on the floor.

"Mikko, what are you doing?" cried Lotte, pushing her seat back in shock. "Why are you acting so – oh my god!"

Akko took a closer look at the thing Mikko was carrying in his mouth and jumped out her seat, crying out, when she realized what it was. The red fox was holding Blair by the nape, but the purple-furred cat looked worse for wear. Patches of her fur were missing, her left eye was swollen shut, and it looked like her left paw was twisted at an awkward angle. Akko all but ripped Blair out of Mikko's teeth, cradling the injured cat in her arms.

"BLAIR!" Akko cried into the stunned silence. "BLAIR, PLEASE SAY SOMETHING! PLEASE, OH GOD, BLAIR, PLEASE!"

"Akko…," Blair muttered weakly, only barely opening her other eye. "Akko…I was wrong…I was…so wrong…."

"Don't worry, Blair, we'll get you help," said Akko frantically. "We'll take you to Porlyusica and – "

"Akko…listen to me…," Blair muttered. "Izetta…you can't go after her…she's not…."

But whatever energy she had left was quickly drained and Blair's eye slowly fluttered closed, her head lolling in Akko's hands while the little witch cried out.

* * *

 **Next Chapter: Rematch**


	13. Rematch

**Akko Kagari and the White Witch**

 **Chapter Thirteen: Rematch**

It felt like the whole world was out to get Akko. Ever since the year started, every good thing that ever happened to her was quickly replaced by a new tragedy. This one was no different.

Akko sat on the edge of one of the beds in the hospital wing, head hanging mournfully and occasionally sparing glances at Blair as Porlyusica patched her up. No one could figure out how to force her back into her human form, so Porlyusica was forced to treat an injured cat, for which she constantly complained over ("I'm a nurse, not a veterinarian!") Akko was so grateful that she and Lotte had made up recently, because she really needed her right now. Her best friend never left Akko's side once since they entered the hospital wing with Ursula once they informed the teacher of what happened. For her part, Ursula was doing well at maintaining her composure over the state of her friend, but her brow seemed to be permanently furrowed, like she was trapped in deep thought.

Once she mended the broken bones and patched the fur, Porlyusica summoned a small cat bed and gently tucked Blair inside.

"I've done all I can," said Porlyusica, turning to Ursula. "I've healed her body, but the trauma she had experienced has rendered her catatonic – I cannot tell you when, or if, she will wake up."

"We can't thank you enough, Porlyusica," said Ursula gratefully.

"You said it was a fox that found her in this state?" asked Porlyusica.

"That was my pet, Mikko," Lotte piped in.

"According the investigative team," said Ursula, "she was being held captive in old chamber on the right-hand side of the third floor."

"Isn't that where Arcas was staying in our first year?" asked Akko.

"Since he was no longer needed to defend the Shiny Rod, I sent Arcas back to my hometown in France," said Ursula. "That chamber has been empty for the last two years, so no one ever thought to search in there."

"But these wounds she's sustained are over several weeks old," said Porlyusica, gesturing to Blair. "How is it that no one has noticed her missing in that time."

"Well, that's because I received a letter from her the day after she disappeared," said Ursula. "She had written that she had a big fight with Akko over her broom and wanted to get away for a little while to cool off. I never questioned it because it was in Blair's handwriting, so I knew it wasn't forged. I've been receiving letters once a week since then, so I never thought that she was in trouble."

"So you suspect that she might have been forced to write those letters against her will," said Porlyusica, humming thoughtfully. "Well, that might help explain the strangeness of her injures."

"What do you mean?" asked Akko.

"The missing patches of fur are due to stress and the swollen eye was from the buildup of blood in that area," said Porlyusica, "but the rest of her injuries were completely internal: damaged liver, punctured right lung, several fractured and broken bones, and a cerebral contusion to the brain. However, there is no evidence of any physical trauma, and there are no traces of fuel spirit, meaning that magic wasn't used to harm her."

"So they didn't beat her and they didn't use magic," said Ursula, frowning. "Then how did she end up like this."

"That's the part that has me stumped," said Porlyusica. "As far as well can tell, her body just attacked itself."

* * *

Akko had taken everything very hard indeed, sitting in her dorm room and refusing to leave her bed.

"Come on, Akko, this is Blair we're talking about," said Amanda bracingly. "She's the strongest witch we know next to Holbrooke. I mean, sure, yeah, she's been tortured for who knows how long, and she's pretty much broken every part of her body, and there's a chance she's never gonna wake up from her coma, but if you overlook all that, she's gonna turn out fine."

"Wow, and I thought I was the bad friend in the group," said Sucy.

In a last-ditch attempt to cheer Akko up, Lotte persuaded her to go down to the race track and join in Polaris's final practice before their next match, so that she could finally ride Shiny Chariot's legendary broom. Mentioning Shiny Chariot's name did seem to take Akko's mind off Blair for a moment ("Maybe I can do the hook sweep technique Shiny Chariot did in her shows!") so they set of for team practice.

Unfortunately, even though everyone had gathered expectantly around her, Akko still didn't know how to summon the Shiny Balai. For the first five minutes of practice, Akko just held the Shiny Rod over her head and tried to will the staff to transform, which only resulted in her look like a constipated idiot. Amelia, of course, was none too pleased.

"Kagari, this is no time to be playing games! Hurry up and get your broom out!"

"I'm trying!" snapped Akko. "I just know how to get this stupid thing – "

She started swinging the Shiny Rod around as if expecting the Shiny Balai to just fall out, but obviously no such luck. Akko felt a familiar wave of depression and was just about ready to call it quits when a loud barking noise coming from the stands that made everyone jump. Everyone quickly spun around, finding Mikko the red fox sitting up straight near the top of the bleachers, leering at them from above.

"God damn, Lotte," said Akko, sighing while holding a hand over her erratic heartbeat. "He just about made me jump out of my skin."

"Akko! Look! The Shiny Balai!" Lotte shrieked in surprise.

Akko quickly cast her gaze down to discover that she was indeed holding the handle of the Shiny Balai, radiating with pure magical energy as its bristles flowed in a nonexistent wind. The Polaris team gathered around the Shiny Balai, mouths opened in awe and glee. Even Professor Kiki, who was still overseeing Polaris practices to keep an eye on Akko, was just as impressed as everyone else. She took the Shiny Balai in her hands and gave them the benefit of her professional opinion.

"Look at the balance on it! The Shooting Star may have been built with speed and dexterity in mind, but this broom was clearly developed in the pursuit of speed, but also stability for clean flight without any worry of drag after a few years of use. And the handle is a little slimmer than most common brooms, reminds me of the Artemis Arrow – a pity they've stopped making them. I learned to fly on one, and a very fine old broom it was too…."

She continued in this vein for some time, until Amelia said, "Er – Professor Kiki? Is it okay if Akko had the Shiny Balai back? We need to practice…."

"Oh – right – here you are, then, Kagari," said Professor Kiki. "I'll sit over here with Jansson…."

She and Lotte left the field to sit in the stands as Mikko came down to greet his owner, and the Polaris team gathered around Amelia for her final instructions for tomorrow's match.

"Akko, your job is going to be the most difficult since you're going up against Cavendish _and_ Testarossa. They are without a doubt the favorites to win. We already knew that Cavendish was a great flyer, but Testarossa is wild and unpredictable, especially since she doesn't need a broom to support herself, making it that much more difficult to counterattack. On the other hand, if the Shiny Balai is as great as you say it is, then maybe we don't have to worry as much." She gave Akko's broom a look of fervent admiration, then said, "Okay, everyone, let's go – "

And at long last, Akko mounted the Shiny Balai, and kicked off from the ground –

\- and landed face first into the dirt.

"Kagari, what're you doing?" Amelia shouted from above. "Hurry up and get in the air."

"Uh…Ame…we have a problem," Akko said nervously, lifting her head hesitantly. "I just remembered… I don't know how to fly!"

"What?" Amelia screamed so loudly, her voice carried all the way back to the castle. "What do you mean you don't know how to fly? You've been our Anchor for three years now!"

"That was Shooting Star doing all the work!" yelped Akko. "I've just been riding the whole time. I stopped taking flying lessons in my first year because I didn't need them anymore when I had Shooting Star!"

"This is unbelievable, Kagari, even for you!" roared Amelia. "I can't take this anymore! Akko Kagari, you are off – "

"Don't get your panties in a knot, sis. We can totally take care of this."

Amanda had stepped onto the track, joined by Constanze, who was carrying a small silver suitcase.

"Amanda? Constanze? What're you doing here?" asked Akko, confused.

"Saving you from getting kicked off the team," said Amanda proudly. "We kinda figured you still didn't know how to fly since you're…well, you. So Constanze has been working on some things for the past month that might help. Check it out. Constanze?"

The diminutive genius set the case on the ground, removed her glove, and pressed her thumb of the fancy-looking electronic lock; it beeped and a green light flashed on. She threw open the lid and Akko leaned in for a better look. There were three circular machines that looked like miniaturized versions of Croix's Sorcery Units. Constanze took out one and started attaching it to one of the Shiny Balai's besoms.

"What're those things," asked Akko.

"Mini-Sorcery Units – or Stan Units, as Constanze likes to call them," Amanda explained while Constanze put the other Stan Units on. "I don't understand most of her explanation, but Constanze says they should help you fly."

"Isn't that illegal?" asked Akko worriedly.

"Nah, add-ons are only illegal if they give boosts or automatically attack other players," said Amanda nonchalantly. "These things are just gonna help you get your feet off the ground." Constanze stepped back, giving the 'okay' sign. "All right, everything's all set up. Now all you have to do is say the Flying Spell out loud and the Stan Units should take care out the rest. Go on, give it a try."

Akko hesitated for obvious reasons; some part of her thought that this was another one of Amanda's pranks and that they were gonna blow up in her face. But it was either this or get kicked off the Chariot Racing team.

Akko closed her breath, took a deep breath, and said, with all the conviction in her voice, " ** _Tia Freyre_**!"

She heard three soft beeps and the whirling of tiny engines, then felt a familiar sense of weightlessness as she could no longer sense the ground beneath her feet. Akko's eyes fluttered open with a gasp. She looked down and saw her toes hovering at least a foot above the ground. She was flying!

" _YATTA!_ I did it!" Akko cheered, pumping her fists into the air.

"You mean Constanze did it," said Amanda smugly. "But that was just the easy part. You still have to fly the broom on your own. But it shouldn't be too hard – it's just like riding a bike, right?"

Flying the Shiny Balai, as Akko quickly learned, was nothing like riding a bike. For one thing, it was twice as fast as a nitro car and had less protection. This wasn't an issue for Akko since the Shooting Star at max speed was twice as fast as the Shiny Balai, but the biggest problem was maneuverability. The Shiny Balai could shoot like a rocket when it was going in a straight line, but it was terrible at turning corners and changing directions on the spot, thus resulting in Akko slamming into obstacles repeatedly. To compensate for this, Akko learned to slow down whenever she wanted to change direction, which _did_ help her get though the course unharmed, but lost her a great amount of speed and time, which Amelia was constantly reminded Akko that they couldn't afford.

It had dawned on Akko just how much she relied on the Shooting Star when practice had ended. It hadn't exactly been the worst training run they had ever done, but it was obvious to anyone watching that the Polaris team was not on top form.

"Kagari's new broom may cause some issues, so I'll need to rethink our strategy for the next match," said Amelia. "All in all, not a bad practice, I think. But besides the broom thing – Akko, you've sorted out your Heartless problem, haven't you?"

"Yeah," said Akko, thinking of her feeble spells and wishing they were stronger.

"The Heartless won't turn up again, Ame. Holbrooke would go ballistic," said Avery confidently.

"Well, let's hope not," said Amelia. "Anyway – good work, everyone. Let's get back to the tower…turn in early – "

"Whoa, whoa, hold up there, Kagari," Amanda quickly jumped in when Akko starting walking back to the locker rooms, joined shortly by Lotte and Constanze as they vaulted over the barrier around the track. Professor Kiki had fallen asleep in her seat. "You still owe me a ride on that broom of yours. After all, I'm the reason you can even get that thing flying now."

"I'm pretty sure that was Constanze," said Akko smugly. "But yeah, I guess you can have a ride on it. Just try not to scratch it okay – it's a family heirloom."

Amanda, an expression of ecstasy on her face, mounted the broom and zoomed off into the gathering darkness while Akko, Lotte, and Constanze walked around the edge of the field, watching her. Night had fallen before Professor Kiki awoke with a start, told them off for not waking her, and insisted they go back to the castle.

Akko shouldered the Shiny Balai, not wanting to change it back since still didn't know the Word to activate it. She, Lotte, Amanda, and Constanze walked out of the shadowy stadium, discussing the Shiny Balai's performance, making a list of pros and cons while Akko made constant comparisons to the Shooting Star (She loved the Shiny Balai, but the Shooting Star was _her_ broom.) They were halfway toward the castle when Akko, glancing to her left, saw something that made her heart turn over – a pair of eyes, gleaming out of the darkness.

Akko stopped dead, her heart banging against her ribs.

"What's the matter?" said Lotte.

Akko pointed. Constanze pulled out a Stan-Bot from her bag and flashed on the lights, hitting the bottom of a tree and illuminating the low hanging branches; there, crouching among the budding leaves, was Mikko.

"Oh, it's only you, Mikko," said Lotte in relief. "Come on, let's go back to the castle now – "

But the red fox turned on the branch it was standing on and vanished with one swish of his long, red tail.

"Mikko's been going out a lot lately," said Lotte frowning. "I don't know how she manages to get out of the dormitory on his own like that."

"Well, it's a good thing he can, or else Blair might still be tortured by now," said Amanda solemnly.

Akko didn't say anything. She took a deep breath as relief seeped through her; she had a disturbingly vivid flashback of Nabeshima Shoto Park. She had been sure for a moment that those eyes had belonged to Izetta. They set off for the castle once more. Slightly ashamed of her moment of panic, Akko didn't say anything – nor did she look left and right until they had reached the well-lit entrance hall.

* * *

Akko went down to breakfast the next morning with the rest of the Chariot Racing team, all of whom seemed to think the Shiny Balai deserved a sort of guard of honor. As Akko entered the dining hall, heads turned in the direction of the Shiny Balai, and there was a good deal of excited muttering. Even if Shiny Chariot wasn't famous among the Demi-Human community for her shows, everyone could recognize her skills on a broom and the Shiny Balai was famous for being one of the best because of it. Akko saw, with enormous satisfaction, that the Corona team were all looking thunderstruck.

"Did you see her face," said Amelia gleefully, looking back at Corona Captain, Zelda Skyloft. "She can't believe it! This is great!"

"Put it here, Akko," said Avery, laying the broom in the middle of the team table, and carefully turning it so that everyone could get an eyeful even from the second floor. People from Twilight, Lunar, and Eclipse were soon coming over to look. Nanoha Takamachi came over to congratulate Akko on having acquired such a superb replacement for the Shooting Star, and the head of the school news and Amelia's girlfriend, Wangari, asked if she could hold the Shiny Balai.

"Now, now, Wangari, no sabotage!" said Amelia heartily as she examined the Shiny Balai closely. "Wangari and I have a bet going on," she whispered to the team. "One grand on the outcome of the match!"

Wangari put the Shiny Balai down again, promised to give Akko a glowing review in the newspaper, and disappeared into the crowd.

"That's a pretty nice broom you got there, Akko," said a strong voice.

Fate Testarossa had arrived for a closer look, the rest of the Corona team behind her.

"Yeah, it's pretty sweet," said Akko casually.

"It definitely looks like it's built for speed," said Fate, giving the Shiny Balai a once over. "Though not in the same sense as the Shooting Star. And judging by the shape of the tails, it doesn't look like it's very good at turning. You better hope we don't run into any obstacles on the course or you're in big trouble."

Akko made a noise that sounded like "Gurk!"; Fate had figured out everything from only one glance.

"Yeah, well, I'm still gonna blow you away in today's match!" said Akko, trying to look confident. "Just you wait!"

"I'm looking forward to it," said Fate, grinning as she walked away.

At a quarter to eleven, the Polaris team set off for the locker rooms. The weather couldn't have been more different from the last match Akko participated in. It was a clear, cool day with a very light breeze; there would be no visibility problems this time, and Akko, though nervous, was starting to feel the excitement only a Chariot Race could bring. They could hear the rest of the school moving into the stadium beyond. Akko took off her tunic, removed her wand from her pocket, and stuck it inside her boot. She had never brought her wand into a match before because she had never needed it, but it was different this time. She wondered suddenly whether Master Noah was in the crowd, watching.

"We're going to have to play more conservative this time around," said Amelia as they prepared to leave the locker room. "Since Akko still hasn't gotten the hang of the Shiny Balai, we're going to have to win on collecting as many points as possible rather than just coming in first. We'll start out with – "

"We should play like we always do," Akko interrupted her, much to everyone's surprise. "Just keep going by the usual playbook and we'll do fine."

"But you can't even turn properly on that broom of yours," said Avery. "If we try to aim for first – "

"I've got a plan all worked out for that," said Akko confidently. "Just trust me on this."

"Well…all right, you heard the girl," said Amelia. "Just play like always, but still be on the defensive just in case."

They walked out onto the field to tumultuous applause. The other teams were already dressed and waiting on the track. Diana was in the center of the Lunar team, seemingly providing them with instructions on their playing style, while Fate looked calm and relaxed as the breeze flowed through her golden hair. She smiled at Akko as the teams faced each other behind their captains; she was acting way too confident to Akko's liking.

"Captains, shake hands," Professor Kiki said briskly, and Amelia shook hands with the other team captains.

Everyone moved off to the side while the first runners took their positions on the tracks.

"Mount your brooms…on my mark…three – two – one – "

The frontrunner kicked off into the air as the randomizer selected the first course for the match, which was the lightning storm course; dark clouds of rolling thunder appeared out of nowhere above the stadium, shooting down bolts of sharp electricity over the racer's heads. Akko watched Amelia swerve through the lightning shots and picked up a ring off the ground halfway, listening all the while to the commentary, which was being provided by Wangari.

"The match has already begun, but the crowd is already busting with energy. That's because the big excitement this match is Akko Kagari's new legendary broom, the Shiny Balai – man, that girl has all the luck, am I right? According to recent data provided by the Data Processing Club – or Yuyushiki as they like to call themselves – the Shiny Balai is another of the famed Shiny Rod's transformations and was ridden by one of Luna Nova's greatest broom riders, Chariot du Nord – "

"Miss Wangari, would you mind telling us what's going on in the match?" interrupted Professor Finnelan's voice.

"Right you are, Professor – just giving a bit of background information – the Shiny Balai, incidentally, can go at a max speed of three hundred miles per hour – "

"Miss Wangari!"

"Okay, okay, Amelia O'Neill from Polaris passes off the baton to Rajani Kahtri first as they head into the cavern track…."

The game was going as Akko had expected it would. Amelia created a huge gap from the other teams, giving Rajani and Rashmi a little bit of extra time to focus on collecting rings and destroying targets. Unfortunately, Rashmi had drawn the short straw when the course had changed into the sandstorm track and didn't notice she was flying in the wrong direction until the Lunar and Eclipse players passed her. By the time she had gotten her bearings and passed on the baton to Avery, Lunar and Eclipse were already a quarter of the way around the track.

"Show her your acceleration, Buckland!" Amelia yelled as Avery whooshed past in pursuit of the leading teams then turned on Akko. "Kagari, you're absolutely sure this is how we should be playing? We might still have time to – "

"I told you to trust me, Ame," said Akko shortly. "I've got this handled."

The randomizer shifted the course into the midnight track; the sky instantly changed from a bright and sunny sky to a starry night with a crescent moon hanging over their heads ("Where do they get the money to make all this?" asked Akko.) A dense forest formed in the middle of the track, obscuring vision both inside and out.

The limited visibility combined with the closeness of the trees forced Avery to slow down before accidentally ran into something, bring her speed to only a quarter of what it's used to. The only positive side is that it forced the other teams to slow down as well, and within a couple minutes, Avery was slowly edging her way up to the front runners, all while collecting three more rings hanging off the branches.

They were starting to exit the track; Akko took her position at the starting line in between Diana and Bayonette, the Eclipse Anchor. Avery and the other frontrunners breached the forest; Akko activated the Stan-Units to get her aloft as they came around the final turn. Akko stretched her hand back, excitement flooding her; Avery was inches away from passing off the rings –

Then the Corona player came completely out of nowhere and surged past Avery and the others, knocking them aside and handing off the batons to Fate. Fate snatched up the rings and shot down the course like a bolt of lightning.

There was a great "Ooooooh" of disappointment from the Polaris supporters, but much applause for Fate from the Corona end. Off on the sidelines, Amelia O'Neill vented her feelings by picking up the water cooler meant for the finished players and tossed it into the bleachers; Professor Kiki took away twenty-five points for unsportsmanlike conduct. Diana recovered first and took off after Fate while the rest of the teams tried to pick themselves up; Akko was the last one to enter the race.

"Despite that momentary setback, Polaris is still in the lead by fifty points, but that's not going to matter anyway thanks to Kagari's Shiny Balai! Yeah, Testrossa is fast with her flying magic, but the Shiny Balai is a magically amplified speed machine! And Cavendish's Blazer is just no match for it, the Shiny Balai's precision-balance is really noticeable in these long – "

"MISS WANGARI! ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE THAT ACCURSED BROOM? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARY!"

Akko thought bitterly that even though Wangari was hyping it up, the steering was a real pain in the ass for Akko, which only proved to be a bigger annoyance when the Canyon Track was selected. High stone walls on either side of the course with tall pillars of rock filling in the center, meaning maneuverability was imperative if you wanted to stay in front. Luckily, Akko prepared for just such a situation. She withdrew the wand from her boot….

Diana and Fate were pulling further and further ahead; they effortlessly weaved around the stone formations, crossing one another several times where Fate made numerous attempts to knock Diana off her broom, but Diana deflected each one. They were both purposely ignoring the targets sticking out of the walls and the rings dangling off the loose crags – if they took their eyes off each other even for a moment, they were surely be knocked out of the running.

"You just get better and better every time we fly together!" Fate complimented.

"I learn with each new experience!" Diana retorted smugly. "You won't catch me with my guard down!"

"I guess not!" said Fate amusingly. "Too bad Akko isn't up here with us! I thought for sure she'd be able to keep up with that shiny new broom of hers!"

"If there's one thing I know about Akko Kagari," said Diana, "it's that she always has this way of surprising you!"

Funnily enough, the moment the words left Diana's lips as they were swerving through a particularly wide pillar, the stone suddenly exploded behind them both. Diana pressed herself flat against her broom to keep herself from falling off while Fate spiraled out of control and slammed into the canyon wall. When both players looked over, they saw something covered in a lime-green light shooting out of the smoke like a gun from a bullet. It flew in a straight line through the canyon's center and smashed its way through the columns of stone without losing momentum.

"Was that…," Fate said with a stunned pause.

"…Akko?" sputtered Diana.

"UNBELIEVABLE!" Wangari screamed excitedly. "In a most stunning turn of events, Akko Kagari comes from behind and takes first place! She's literally crashing her way to the finish line with what looks like a well-practiced shielding charm! Very clever!"

"Hey, hey!" The Lunar captain, Lightning, waved at Wangari from below. "She's running into all the obstacles! Aren't you going to penalize her?"

"Well, technically, it's the shielding charm that's hitting everything!" Wangari answered. "As long as the rider doesn't get hit, there's no point penalty!"

Meanwhile, Amanda made an impressed whistling noise as she watched Akko zoom by through the binocular's made from one of Constanze's Stan-Bots.

"Using a shielding charm to clear the way and make up for the Shiny Balai's terrible steering," said Amanda approvingly. "But when did she have the time to learn that spell?"

"Akko and I stayed up all night practicing," said Lotte. "She really wanted to make up for missing all the games before and she didn't want to lose either. It was Akko's idea."

"Yeah, that sounds like her," said Sucy, smirking. "Always smashing her way through everything in life."

Akko smashed through the last of the tall rocks and entered the final stretch of the race; Fate and Diana hadn't caught up to her yet. She accelerated. She was winning, getting closer to the finish line with every second – then –

"Akko!" screamed Amelia from the sidelines, pointing.

Distracted, Akko looked down.

A pair of Neo Shadows were looking up at her.

She didn't stop to think. Whipping her wand around, she roared, " ** _Lumen Murowa!_** "

An enormous bullet of silvery-white energy erupted from the end of her wand. She knew it had shot directly at the Heartless but didn't pause to watch; her mind still miraculously clear, she pressed herself against the Shiny Balai and put in a final spurt of speed as she crossed the finish line.

Professor Kiki's whistle sounded. Akko dismounted from her broom and saw four red blurs bearing down on her; next moment, the whole team was hugging her so hard she nearly passed out. All around them she could hear the roars of the Polaris students in the crowd.

"That's my girl!" Amelia kept yelling. Rajani and Rashmi kissed her from both sides; Avery had her in a grip so tight Akko felt as though her head would come off. Akko looked around to see a gaggle of Polaris supports sprinting onto the field, Lotte in the lead. Before she knew it, she had been engulfed by the cheering crowd.

"Yes!" Amanda yelled, yanking Akko's arm into the air. "Yes! Yes!"

"Good for you, Akko!" shouted Jasminka.

"That was brilliant, Akko!" boomed Ursula over the head of the milling Polaris students.

"That was quite some spell you cast," said a voice in Akko's ear.

Akko turned around to see Master Noah, who looked both shaken and pleased.

"The Heartless didn't affect me at all!" Akko said excitedly. "I didn't feel a thing!"

"That would be because they – er – weren't Heartless," said Master Noah. "Come and see – "

He led Akko out of the crowd until they were able to see the edge of the track.

"You gave Miss England and Miss Parker quite a fright," said Master Noah.

Akko stared. Lying in a crumpled heap on the ground were Hannah and Barbara, both struggling to remove themselves from black, full bodysuits and round, black helmets were yellow circles painted on the lenses. Standing over them, with an expression of the utmost fury on her face, was Diana.

"An unworthy trick!" she was shouting. "A low and cowardly attempt to sabotage the Polaris team!"

"It was Barbara's idea!" Hannah yelped frantically. "I just went along with it!"

"Hey, don't go throwing me under the bus!" snapped Barbara.

"No excuses!" roared Diana. "I shall be speaking to Professor Finnelan about this, make no mistake! Ah, here she comes now!"

If anything could have set the seal on Polaris's victory, it was this. Akko's friends, who had fought their way through to her side, doubled up with laughter as they watched Barbara fighting to extricate herself from the bodysuit, Hannah's head somehow getting stuck in the sleeve.

"Come on, Akko!" said Rajani (or was it Rashmi?), fighting her way over. "Party! Polaris common room, now!"

"Right!" said Akko, and feeling happier than she had in ages, she and the rest of the team led the way, still in their bright-red uniforms, out of the stadium and back up to the castle.

* * *

It felt as though they had already won the Chariot Cup; the party went on all day and well into the night. Amanda, Jasminka, and Constanze disappeared for a couple of hours and returned with an armful of coffee and sweets.

"How did you do that?" squealed Avery as Jasminka started throwing candied jelly into the crowd.

"With a little help from some shiny friends," Amanda muttered in Akko's ear.

Though she knew she should have been celebrating with everyone else, Akko didn't feel in much of a festive mood. Once the euphoria of winning the match had faded, Akko was reminded of how much Blair loved after match parties. She was always the center of attention, shooting explosive pumpkins at the ceiling and always managed to find a way to slip alcohol into the common room and tempting the older students. But she wasn't at the party; she was in the hospital wing, trapped in a coma for who knows how long….

"Hey," Akko looked up as Lotte took a seat next to her. "How come you aren't joining in? I thought you liked to party."

"I was just thinking about Blair…," muttered Akko.

"Oh," said Lotte softly, looking suddenly deflated.

"There's been something on my mind since yesterday," said Akko. "Blair…the last thing she said to me was not to go after Izetta and that she was wrong about something."

"Well, I think it's obvious why she didn't want you going after her," said Lotte. "Izetta is a dangerous person. You saw what she did to Master Noah."

"But there's something that doesn't feel right," said Akko, folding her hand together tightly. "She said to not to go after Izetta, not stay away from her. Like…maybe she wants Izetta to come to me instead. And what was she wrong about? Izetta? Was there something she thought wrong about her? Ugh, it feels like the answer is just off the tip of my tongue."

"Akko, I think you might be overthinking things," said Lotte sympathetically. "You've been stressed a lot lately. Maybe you just need some time to relax."

"Yeah…," Akko conceded. "Maybe you're right…."

The Polaris party ended only when Ursula turned up in her track suit at one in the morning, to insist that they all go to bed. Akko climbed up the stairs to the dormitory with her friends, still discussing the match. At last, exhausted, Akko climbed into bed, twitched the hangings of her four-poster shut to block out a ray of moonlight, lay back, and felt herself almost instantly drifting off the sleep….

She had a very strange dream. She was walking through a forest, the Shiny Rod clenched in her hands, following something giving off a pale-green light. It was winding its way through the trees ahead, and she could only catch glimpses of it between the leaves. Anxious to catch up to it, she sped up, but as she moved fasted, so did her quarry. Akko broke into a run, and ahead she heard something like the howling of the wind. Now she was running flat out, and ahead she could hear a mighty squall rolling. Then she turned a corner into a clearing and –

 ** _CRASH!_**

Akko woke as suddenly as though she had been hit in the face. Disoriented in the total darkness, she fumbled with her hangings – she could hear movements around her, and Jasminka's voice from the other side of the room: "What's going on?"

Akko though she heard the dormitory door fly open and slam into the wall. At last finding the divide in her curtains, she ripped them back, and at the same moment, Sucy flipped the lights on.

Everyone froze in their beds, all except for Lotte, who was holding her chest and breathing hard, staring up at the person standing over her. When the lights illuminated the room, the intruder turned around with a wild look of shock. It was Izetta.

Before anyone could think of moving, Izetta spun around and flew out of the open dormitory door and ran down the staircase at top speed. After a moment or two, the screams finally broke out:

"That was Izetta!"

"How did she get in the dorm?"

"Maybe we're just dreaming!"

"At the same time?"

They all screamed out of bed; Akko bounded over to Lotte's bed and helped her up; she looked very weak. They all but sprinted down the staircase. Doors opened behind them, and sleepy voices called after them.

"Who shouted?"

"What're you doing?"

The common room was lit with the glow of the dying fire, still littered with the debris from the party. It was deserted.

"Are you _sure_ we were just dreaming at the same time?"

" _Jasminka, we all saw it happen! It wasn't a dream!_ "

"What's all the noise?"

"Professor Ursula told us to go to bed!"

A few of the other students had come down from their dormitories, pulling on bathrobes and yawning.

"Excellent, is the party still on?" said Avery brightly.

"Everyone back upstairs!" said Amelia, hurrying into the common. "Look, I'm happy about the win, too, but we need to rest up for – "

"Sis – Izetta!" said Amanda frantically. "In our dorm! Woke us up! We saw her!"

The common room went very still.

"That's ridiculous, Amanda," said Amelia, looking startled. "You had too much to eat – had a nightmare – "

"But we all saw her – "

"Now, really, enough is enough!"

Ursula was back. She closed the archway behind her as she entered the common room and stared furiously around.

"I'm happy that Polaris won the match, but this is getting ridiculous! Miss O'Neill, you're supposed to set an example for your juniors!"

"I didn't authorize any of this, Professor!" said Amelia quickly. "I was just telling them all to get back to bed! My sister and her friends had a nightmare – "

"It wasn't a nightmare!" Akko yelled. "Professor, we woke up and saw Izetta standing over Lotte. She was going to kill her – "

"No, she wasn't," said a timid voice.

Everyone went silent and slowly turned around to Lotte, who seemed to have calmed down a little.

"What do you mean, Miss Jansson?" asked Ursula hesitantly.

"Izetta wasn't the one that attacked me," Lotte spoke softly, but her voice carried in the silent room. "There was someone else. Someone came into the dormitory before Izetta showed up."

"Are you absolutely sure?" said Ursula, frowning with worry.

"Yes," Lotte nodded slowly. "I know I wasn't dreaming because Mikko woke me up; he was acting restless for some reason. When I got up to see what was the matter with him, I saw someone walking into the dorm. I couldn't see who they were because they were wearing a hood and a mask, but they were walking around as if they were looking for something. When he was checking around Amanda's bed, I tried reaching for my wand on the table, but I accidentally knocked it on the floor. That's when he turned and saw me. I tried to jump out of bed, but he held up his hand and my whole body suddenly seized up. It was horrible – like my whole body was about to explode from the inside. I tried to scream for help, but I was in so much pain that my voice stopped working."

Lotte paused for a moment and took a deep breath to collect herself. There was a stunned silence in the common room; Ursula looked white as chalk.

"That's when Izetta showed up," Lotte continued. "I don't know where she came from – I didn't hear the dormitory door open again, but she snuck up behind the intruder and tackled him. Whatever magic he was using on me stopped working. Izetta and the other intruder crashed into my bedside table and they rolled around the floor for a little bit before the masked person kicked her off. He must have realized he made too much noise because he ran out the door not a moment after. I thought Izetta was going to chase him, but she went to me instead."

"And…what happened next?" Akko asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"She…she looked so scared," said Lotte. "She was looking me over like she was worried. Then she looked me in the eye and asked me: 'Are you hurt?' I didn't say anything because that's when the lights turned on and everyone was getting out of bed. Izetta ran out the door and…well, here we are now….

"Professor…I think…I think Izetta saved my life."

* * *

 **Next chapter: Ursula's Resolve**


	14. Ursula's Resolve

**Akko Kagari and the White Witch**

 **Chapter Fourteen: Ursula's Resolve**

No one in Polaris Tower slept that night. They knew that the castle was being searched again, and the whole house stayed awake in the common room, waiting to hear whether Izetta or this second unknown attacker had been caught. Ursula came back at dawn, to tell them that there was no sign of either of them.

Throughout the day, everywhere they went they saw signs of tighter security; Professor Akane could be seen teaching the front doors to recognize a large picture of Izetta; Elma was suddenly bustling up and down the corridors, boarding up everything from tiny cracks in the walls to mouse holes. A bunch of surly security orcs had been hired to guard the entrance to Polaris Tower. They paced the corridor in a menacing group, talking in grunts and comparing the size of their clubs.

Akko couldn't help noticing that the statue of the one-eyed witch on the third floor remained unguarded and unblocked. It seemed that Amanda, Constanze and Jasminka had been right in thinking that they – and now Akko, Lotte, and Sucy – were the only ones who knew about the hidden passageway within it.

"Do you think we should tell someone?" Akko asked Sucy.

"It's hard to tell if she's coming from Ama Usa An or not," said Sucy tonelessly. "There's been no reports of a break in, but Izetta has already gotten into the school three times, so they might not have noticed."

That didn't ease Akko's lingering fear. On one hand, it could be the only way of explaining how Izetta managed to get inside the castle undetected. On the other hand, if the one-eyed witch was boarded up too, she would never be able to go into Blytonbury again.

Lotte had become an instant celebrity. For the first time in her life, people were paying more attention to her than to Akko or Diana, though Lotte wasn't particularly proud of the circumstances that lead to her newfound popularity. She was clearly very shaken by the experience, but everyone kept coming up to her begging to know the story about her narrow escape from the dreaded Izetta and her second attacker. Lotte's story never wavered from the original. Though everyone tried to convince her that Izetta was in the Polaris dormitories to kill her, Lotte remained firm in her belief that Izetta had, in fact, been there to save her that night.

"But why, though?" Lotte said to Akko as the group of second year Twilight students who had been listening to her chilling tale departed. "Why would Izetta save me like that?"

Akko had been wondering the same thing. Why had Izetta, who could have easily slipped away unnoticed, expose herself by rescuing Lotte from her mysterious assailant? Izetta had already proven how little she valued human life thirteen years ago in Zurich. Akko didn't believe that Izetta was capable of growing a conscience after something like that.

And then there was the second intruder in the dormitory, which had quickly become the hot topic of nearly every conversation in the castle. Rumors spread like wildfire on who, or what, they believed Lotte saw. Zizi Delevingne from Twilight told every one that she suspected the man in the mask was actually part of a secret task force sent by the Magic Council to hunt down Izetta, which is why he was in their Dormitory to begin with. Akko overheard a sixth year from Eclipse telling her friends that he was a poltergeist that had recently moved to Luna Nova and was looking for a nice, dark place to stay (Bayonetta slapped her over the head and called her an idiot). And Hayate Yagami claimed that the masked figure was actually a teacher who snuck into the Polaris dormitory looking for something and had attacked Lotte in a panic when he got caught; everyone laughed at the absurd idea.

Akko also noticed that in the midst of this latest attack, Ursula had become more visibly ill as of late. She looked unhealthily pale, especially in the candlelight of their Foretelling classes, and the tiredness in her voice was all too apparent to those who listened. She barely moved from her desk the entire time and more than once Akko was afraid she might have passed out or died. She tried to visit Ursula in her office, but Croix was constantly present and made it clear, under no uncertain terms, that she was not to be disturbed under any circumstances. Akko grew more visibly worried by the minute and asked what was wrong with Ursula. Croix let out an anguished sigh and said:

"The stress of these recent attacks is only accelerating Professor Ursula's sickness. And before you ask, no, I can't tell you what it is – patient confidentiality and all that. I have her heavy sedated at the moment and I'm trying a new method to alleviate her symptoms, but as she said before, she's had this sickness for a long time…."

"Professor Ursula…is she…?" Akko couldn't bring herself to finish.

"Ursula is a strong woman," said Croix, looking sadly out of the corner of her eye. "But…she's still only human…."

With the attacks by Izetta, the awareness of a second intruder wandering the castle, and concern over Ursula's current state of health on top of the stress of the upcoming Chariot Racing Championship, Akko suddenly felt like he was carrying a heavy weight on her shoulders. She needed something to take her mind off everything. Luckily, something did arrive two days after Izetta's break-in.

She was sitting with her friends at breakfast when the mail-witches swooped in from the entrance hall, flying over their heads and dropping letters and packages in front of their recipients. Wangari dived in from above, narrowly sliding between Akko and Amanda, and dropped a letter on top of Akko's bacon and eggs.

"Every time," Akko groaned, shaking the letter free of egg yolk. "She drops it in my food every time. I swear she does it on purpose."

Akko tore open the envelope and read the note inside, which was barely visible through the grease stains in the paper:

 _ **Dear Akko,**_

 _ **Would you mind coming down to the paddock on the grounds this afternoon at six?  
Professor Pisces will come and collect you from the castle; She says you're not  
allowed to leave the castle on your own.**_

 _ **Sincerely  
Wendy Marvell**_

"I was wondering why I haven't seen her around lately," said Lotte, looking around the dining hall. "I suppose she's been with Professor Pisces all this time."

" _Wait…Akko, doesn't it feel like we're forgetting something_?" asked Stan-Bot.

Akko had that feeling as well, but she didn't figure out what it was until she left the Polaris common room alone that afternoon at six o'clock, passed the security orcs at a run, and headed down to the entrance hall.

Professor Pisces was already waiting for her in her beautiful human-fish form.

"Hello, Professor," said Akko politely. "How have you been lately?"

"Much better than Miss Jansson, from what I heard," said Professor Pisces, opening the front doors and leading her outside. "Is she doing all right?"

"She's a little shaken, but fine for the most part," said Akko. "I think she's more confused than anything else. I mean, who would expect Izetta to _save_ someone."

"Yes…it is quite the mystery," said Professor Pisces.

The first thing she saw upon reaching the paddock was Qing bowing its head between its legs as Wendy dumped a bucketful of water on top. The Qilin shook its head vigorously, splashing droplets in every direction; Wendy dried herself with a quick gust of wind that billowed under her feet. She bent down to pick up a large brush and started scrubbing Qing's scale, making them glisten in the weakening sunlight.

"What're you doing, Wendy?" Akko asked when she walked over.

"Making Qing look clean and presentable for his case against the Department of Magical Wildlife," said Wendy. "It's this Friday. Professor Pisces is taking him to Era in Australia."

"I've already booked two seats with the Space Patrol," said Professor Pisces. "They're much cheaper than the bus – "

Akko felt a nasty pang of guilt. This is what she and Constanze had forgotten about: Qing's trial. They had also forgotten their promise about helping them prepare Qing's defense; the arrival of the Shiny Balai had driven it clean out of their minds.

Professor Pisces summoned up a pitcher of fruit water and small sandwiches, but Akko had suddenly lost her appetite; the guilt of forgetting something so important weighed heavily on her heart and her stomach.

"I was hoping I could get a chance to talk to you, Akko," said Wendy, finishing up Qing's scale and moving on to filing his antlers. "Since we hardly ever see each other outside of class, I figured this was the best way. The truth is, I'm worried."

"About what?" said Akko,

"Diana," said Wendy.

"What about her?" asked Akko.

"She's been under a lot of stress lately. While I've been coming down helping Professor Pisces with Qing, I've noticed her wandering the grounds a lot. Ever since we came back from Christmas holidays. I tried talking to her for a few times – had her blow up some watermelons."

"Watermelons?" asked Akko.

"Blowing up stuff relieves stress and it makes a tasty snack afterwards," Wendy continued. "She's cried a fair few times, you know. Going through a rough time at the moment. I think she might have bitten off more than she can chew with her classes, if you ask me. And even though she says there's no way we can win the trial, she still offered up some advice on how to deal with her aunt…. Who knows, maybe we'll actually win this…."

"Miss Cavendish isn't so optimistic of our chances," said Professor Pisces.

"Wendy, Professor, I'm so sorry – I should have helped out more – " Akko began awkwardly.

"We're not blaming you, Miss Kagari," said Professor Pisces, waving Akko's apology aside. "The Nine Olde Witches know you've have enough to be getting on with in recent times. Your captain has been assigning racing practices nearly every day of the week – I've been watching while tending to Qing. Though I must say, I think your captain may be a little obsessive over this competition."

"That's putting it lightly," muttered Akko.

"Diana came down to get away from the castle after she heard what happened with Izetta and Lotte," said Wendy. "She was really upset – she didn't want anyone to see her, but I was helping Professor Pisces that day. I'm worried she might start breaking down soon."

"I had no idea Diana was going through all this," said Akko, looking downcast. "And here I was getting worked up over a stupid broom while one of my friends was having a difficult time."

"She did her best to hide it from everyone," said Wendy. "But her problem is that she tries to bottle up her emotions inside. That can't be good for her mental health. That's why I wanted to ask if you could talk to her."

"Why me?" asked Akko. "Why not Hannah or Barbara? They're always hanging out together."

"Diana always puts up a tough front when they're around," said Wendy. "I've seen the way she looks when she talks to you, Akko. It's probably the only time I've ever seen her vulnerable. I think if anyone has a chance of reaching Diana, it's you."

They spent the rest of their meeting arguing over which team had the best chance of winning the Chariot Cup. At nine o'clock, Professor Pisces walked them both up to the castle.

A large group of people was bunched around the bulletin board when Akko returned to the common room.

"Hey, what's up?" Akko asked Lotte at the edge of the gathering.

"The date for the next Blytonbury trip is next weekend," said Lotte brightly. "I should head upstairs and write a message."

"For what?" asked Akko.

"Remember when Frank and I went to get drinks at the Rabbit House last visit?" said Lotte. "He asked me to let him know when our next visit was going to be so that we could explore the town together."

"Oooh," said Akko giddily, grinning from ear to ear. "Sounds like Frank wants to take you out on a date."

"Akko, you're being ridiculous," said Lotte, rolling her eyes. "Frank's not interested in me like that. He's just a nice person that wants to show me around town. He's visited Blytonbury longer than we have, so he knows all the best spots."

"And he only invited you?" Akko chuckled teasingly. "No one else?"

"Akko, for the last time, there's no way Frank would be interested in me," said Lotte. "I mean…who would be interested in a plain girl like me?"

"Lotte, you're more beautiful than you give yourself credit for," said Akko firmly. "And I'll bet the Shiny Balai _and_ the Shiny Guide Book that Frank thinks so, too. But just in case you try to back out, maybe I should go with you for moral support. Elma hasn't done anything about the passage into Ama Usa An…."

"Akko, I don't think it's a good idea for you to go into Blytonbury right now," said Lotte.

"Oh no, I gotta make sure you're at your best for your date," said Akko.

"Akko, I'm being serious," said Lotte. "You should be going into Blytonbury, especially after what just happened the other day. That person in the mask might still be around – "

"But it doesn't sound like you're worried about Izetta," said Akko suddenly, giving Lotte a crossed look. "Why?"

"It's…it's just…," Lotte stuttered hesitantly.

"You don't think Izetta is a bad person," said Akko sharply, "even after knowing everything she's done. My mom, you parents – "

"I know what she did!" Lotte hissed quietly. "It's just…the way she looked at me that night…she was so scared for me. I'm…I'm just not sure she really is what everyone says she is."

"She's a monster and she deserves what's coming to her," said Akko with a tone of finality in her voice. "Whatever. Either way, I'm coming to Blytonbury with you. And just to be sure, I'll take the Ring with me."

* * *

On Saturday morning, Akko packed the Ring of Gyges in her bag, slipped the Shiny Guide Book under her tunic, and went down to breakfast with everyone else. She noticed that Diana, Hannah, and Barbara were shooting her with suspicious looks, no doubt coming to their own conclusions that Akko was going to find some way to sneak into Blytonbury. Akko avoided their eyes and was careful to let them see her walking back up the spiraling staircase in the entrance hall as everybody else proceeded to the front doors.

"Bye!" Akko called to Lotte. "See you when you get back!"

Lotte hesitantly smiled and walked out.

Akko hurried up to the third floor, slipping the Shiny Guide Book out of her tunic as she went. Crouching behind the one-eyed witch, she flipped it open. A tiny square was moving in her direction. Akko squinted at it. The minuscule writing next to it read _Wendy Marvell_.

Akko quickly pulled out her wand, muttered, " _Patentibus_!" and shoved her bag into the statue, but before she could climb in herself, Wendy came around the corner.

"Akko! I forgot that you aren't allowed to go to Blytonbury."

"Hey, Wendy," said Akko with a nervous smile, moving swiftly away from the statue and pushing the Shiny Guide Book behind her back. "What are you still doing here?"

"I don't feel like going to town right now," said Wendy. "Too nervous about Qing's trial. Hey, wanna play a game of liar dice?"

"Er – not now – I was going to go to the library and do that detoxification essay for Master Noah – "

"I can help you with that!" said Wendy brightly. "I finished that within three days!"

"Er – hang on – yeah, I forgot, I finished it last night!"

"Did you really?" said Wendy, her face suddenly anxious. "Then maybe we can compare. I'm a little worried about the Mandrake section. See, I know the book said to boil the roots and slice off the veins, but I was thinking of – "

She broke off with a small gasp, looking over Akko's shoulder.

It was Professor Finnelan. Wendy took a quick step behind Akko.

"And what are you two doing here?" said Professor Finnelan, coming to a halt and looking from one to the other. "An odd place to meet – "

To Akko's immense disquiet, Finnelan's eyes flickered to the doorways on either side of them, and then the one-eyed witch.

"We're not – meeting here," said Akko. "We just – met here."

"Indeed?" said Professor Finnelan. "You have a habit of turning up in unexpected places, Miss Kagari, and you are very rarely there for no good reason…. I suggest the pair of you return to your common rooms, where you belong."

Akko and Wendy set off without another word. As they turned the corner, Akko looked back. Professor Finnelan was running one of her hands over the one-eyed witch's head, examining it closely.

Akko managed to shake Wendy off at the spiraling staircase, pretending she left her detoxification essay in the library and doubled back. Once out of sight, she pulled out the Shiny Guide Book once again and held it close to her nose.

The third-floor corridor seemed to be deserted. Akko scanned the Guide Book carefully and saw, with a leap of relief, that the tiny square labeled _Anne Finnelan_ was now back in her office.

She sprinted back to the one-eyed witch, opened her hump, heaved herself inside, and slid down to meet her bag at the bottom of the stone chute. She wiped the Shiny Guide Book blank again, then set off at a run.

* * *

Akko, completely hidden by the Ring of Gyges' magic, emerged into the sunlight outside Ama Usa An and prodded Lotte in the back.

"It's me," she muttered.

"What kept you?" Lotte hissed.

"Finnelan was hanging around," said Akko. "Where's Frank?"

"You were taking so long, so I asked him to pick up some coffee – "

"I'm back, Miss Jansson!"

Frank practically skipped across the street with a huge smile on his face as he handed the coffee to Lotte.

"Shall we be off?" asked Frank, offering his arm.

"Yes, we shall," said Lotte brightly, wrapping her hand around his elbow.

They set off up the High Street with Akko sneakily following behind.

Frank showed her the Sealing Stones, which were actually five rocks in the ground shaped like fingers. According to the sign posted next to the monument, the Sealing Stones were the remains of the final battle between the Great Witch Jennifer and the Mad Titan Thanos after the world killer had summoned a titanic beast to do his bidding. And according to legend, if anyone were to disturb the Sealing Stones, the titanic beast would awaken from its slumber to wreak havoc on all. Akko didn't think anyone would be stupid enough to touch the Stones, but she didn't like the way the tiny mayor of the city was eyeing the stones from across the street, nor the way he was drawing up blueprints to make a statue of himself.

They visited the Last Wednesday Society, a magical item shop that was about the same size as Lotte's family shop, but packed with more items that could belong in a magic shop. The store was mostly empty except for the store clerk that looked an awful lot like someone from that American television program. There were magical items that looked considerably dangerous, which is exactly why Akko wanted them; she gave Lotte whispered orders and passed her credit card while Frank's was examining the display of chameleon tongue candy. Lotte and Frank left the shop without buying anything, but Akko was considerably weighed down by the bag of goods that included Froppy's Frog Juice, A Squid Girl tentacle hat, a Cinderella Magic Set, and a bag of exploding caramels.

The day was fine and breezy, and none of them felt like staying indoors, so they walked past the Rabbit House and walked the dirt road into the Woodward Forest to visit the Tree of Woodward, which was said to be the original home to the Nine Olde Witches before the establishment of Luna Nova. A single, monolithic tree stood above the rest of the forest and looked to have been converted into a sort of tree house centuries ago. Despite its age, the Tree looked well maintained.

"Fairies come here regularly to keep it clean and trimmed," said Frank as they leaned on the fence, looking up at it. "I asked the proprietor at the item shop…he says that the witch who lived here was famous. I suppose you've heard of her, obviously, being a student at Luna Nova and all. I just find it all fascinating. Too bad no one is allowed inside – the door is sealed shut with magic to keep out intruders – "

Frank was clearly trying to show off his magical knowledge to Lotte – it was too cute in Akko's opinion. Akko watched them from behind and it looked like Frank's hand was subtly inching closer to Lotte's. Their fingers were just about to touch when they heard noises nearby and Frank sharply pulled his hand away. Someone was climbing toward the Tree from the other side of the road; moments later, three boys appeared around the bend, dressed in school uniforms similar to Frank's. The leader, a blonde-haired man, was speaking loudly.

"…tries to tell me it was a twenty-four-karat diamond broach, when it was obviously twenty-three. Naturally, I had father fire the imbecile on the spot. And thanks to my father, that poor twit won't find a job better than waste collecting, right where he belongs!"

His lackeys sniggered wickedly.

"That dimwit was almost as bad as a witch – almost. Of course, everyone knows that witches are the dregs of society. They are even lower than garbage. If I ever saw a witch, I would have it thrown into mud – at least then they would be a _little_ more appealing…to a pig!"

He suddenly caught sight of Frank and Lotte. Frank stepped in front of Lotte, keeping the blonde man as far away from her.

"What are you doing here, Frank?"

"Nothing, Louis," said Frank. He reached behind and grabbed Lotte by the hand. "We were just leaving."

He started to walk away, but he didn't get more than two feet before Louis stepped between them, separating their hands. Frank tried to reach out again, but he was cut off by Louis's cronies. Louis, meanwhile, leaned in close and stared Lotte directly in the eye.

"You…you're a witch from that school," said Louis with every bit of contempt in his voice. "What're you doing hanging with Frank? Bet you used one of your witchy spells to make him like you. It's the only explanation as to why he would bother wasting his time with a disgusting witch, especially one so plain-looking and unappealing."

He grabbed Lotte by the shoulders and pushed her to the ground. Frank yelled and jumped at Louis, but his henchmen grabbed him by the arms and held him back.

Akko gritted her teeth furiously and kneeled next to Lotte as she got up to her knees.

"Leave him to me," she hissed in her ear.

Akko crept silently around behind Louis and his flock of rich goons, bent down, and scooped a large handful of mud out of the path.

"Witches aren't welcomed in _our_ town," Louis said to Lotte. "You should run along back to that trash heap you call a school, because you certainly don't belong here. In fact, why don't you do the world a favor and tie yourself to a stake to make it easier for us when we burn you – "

 _ **SPLAT!**_

Louis's head jerked forward as the mud hit him; his pale-blonde hair was suddenly dripping with muck.

"What the - ?"

Lotte had to lean against the fence after she stood up, holding a hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing out loud. Louis and his cronies spun stupidly on the spot, staring wildly around, Louis trying to wipe his hair clean. Frank immediately went to Lotte's side, looking equally flabbergasted.

"What was that? Who did that?"

"You know…," said Lotte with an air of mysticism in her voice, "they say that the spirit of Woodward still resides in this forest, punishing those who would dare to harm witches."

Louis's henchmen were looking scared. They had thought their numbers would compensate for a single witch, but they were nothing against malicious spirits. Louis was staring madly around at the deserted landscape.

Akko sneaked along the path, where a particularly sloppy puddle yielded some foul-smelling, green sludge.

 _ **SPLATTER!**_

Louis hopped furiously on the spot, trying to rub it out of his small, dull eyes.

"Get out of my way, you fools!" Louis screamed, shoving his cronies aside and making a mad dash down the dirt path. "We won't forget this, you witch!"

Lotte was practically doubled over with laughter as Louis disappeared through the forest, his followers crying in his wake. And poor Frank looked like a mixture between dumbfounded and frightened.

"Um…Miss Jansson…there aren't really any ghosts around here, are there?" he asked worriedly.

"No ghost here, Frank," said Akko cheerfully, taking off her ring and making herself visible. "It's just lil' old me."

"Miss Kagari!" Frank yelped in surprise. "My goodness…you nearly gave me a heart attack. That was _you_ doing all that?"

"Yep!" said Akko proudly. "Did you see the dumb look on that jerk's face when he got a face full of mud – "

"Akko?"

Akko immediately froze up at the sound of the new voice, a shiver of panic running down her spine at its familiarity. She turned around and standing just down the dirt path was Hannah and Barbara – Diana was noticeably absent, but Akko couldn't tell if that was a good or a bad thing in this situation. Before Akko could say anything, the two of them pivoted on their feet and took off at breakneck speeds.

Akko fumbled with the Ring, jamming it back on her finger, but the damage was done.

"Akko!" Lotte said, stumbling forward and staring hopelessly at the point where Akko had disappeared, "you'd better run for it! If they tell anyone – you need to get back to the castle, quick – "

"See you later," said Akko, and without another word, she tore back down the path towards Blytonbury.

Of all the people that could have seen her, Hannah and Barbara were quite possibly the worst pair. They may have gotten along in front of Diana, but Hannah was so obviously jealous of Akko's relationship with Diana and Barbara's had it out for her since year one. Would anyone believe their story of Akko sneaking out into Blytonbury. Nobody knew about the Ring of Gyges – nobody except Holbrooke, Ursula, and Croix. Akko's stomach turned over – they would know exactly what had happened, if Hannah and Barbara said anything.

Back into Ama Usa An, through the crowded shop, into the kitchen, and through the trapdoor – Akko pulled off the Ring, stuffed it in her pocket, and ran, flat out, along the passage…. Hannah and Barbara would get back first…how long would it take them to find a teacher? Panting, a sharp pain in her side, Akko didn't slow down until she reached the stone slide. She left the Ring of Gyges sitting on a rock protruding from the wall; it was too much of a giveaway in case Hannah and Barbara had tipped off a teacher. She started to climb, as fast as she could, her sweaty hands slipping on the sides of the chute. She reached the inside of the witch's hump, tapped it with her wand, stuck her head through, and hoisted herself out; the hump closed, and just as Akko jumped out from behind the statue, she heard quick footsteps approaching.

It was Professor Finnelan. She approached Akko at a swift walk and then stopped in front of her.

"So," she said

There was a look of suppressed triumph about her. Akko tried to look innocent, all too aware of her sweaty face, her muddy hands, and the bag of purchases from the magic item shop she hid poorly behind her back.

"Come with me, Miss Kagari," said Professor Finnelan.

Akko followed her downstairs, trying to wipe her hands clean inside her pockets without Professor Finnelan noticing. They walked down the stairs to the first floor and then into her office.

Akko had been in here twice last year, first time she nearly got her expelled and the second time she was just coming back from her most lethal battle yet. The weak light from the fireplace cast a menacing shadow over Professor Finnelan as she stood in front of it.

"Sit," said Professor Finnelan.

Akko sat. Professor Finnelan, however, remained standing.

"Miss Parker and Miss England have just been to see me with a strange story, Miss Kagari," said Professor Finnelan.

Akko didn't say anything.

"They tell me that they were up by the Tree of Woodward when they saw Miss Jansson with a boy being harassed by Appleton students."

Still, Akko didn't speak.

"They say that they were ready to intervene, when a large amount of mud hit one of the Appleton students in the back of the head. How do you think that could have happened?"

Akko Tried to look mildly surprised.

"I don't know, Professor."

Professor Finnelan's eyes were boring into Akko's. It was exactly like trying to stare down a Qilin. Akko tried not to blink.

"And then they saw an extraordinary apparition. Can you imagine what it might have been, Miss Kagari?"

"No," said Akko, now trying to sound innocently curious.

"It was you, appearing out of thin air."

There was a long silence.

"Maybe they should see Porlyusica," said Akko. "If they're seeing things like – "

"What were you doing in Blytonbury, Miss Kagari," said Professor Finnelan softly. "You have no permission to be in Blytonbury."

"I know that," said Akko, striving to keep her face free of guilt. "It sounds like they've been having hallucin – "

"I wouldn't put it past Miss England, but Miss Parker is a brilliant student," snarled Professor Finnelan, and she bent down, a hand on each arm of Akko's chair, so that their faces were a foot apart. "If she says that you were in Blytonbury, then you were in Blytonbury."

"I've been up in Polaris Tower," said Akko. "Like you told – "

"Can anyone confirm that?"

Akko didn't say anything. Professor Finnelan's thin mouth curled into a disgusting frown.

"So," she said, straightening up again. "Everyone from the Chairman of the Magic Council downward has been trying to keep you safe from Izetta because of this balderdash about you being the Star-Born Child. But the famous Atsuko Kagari is a law unto herself. Let the ordinary people worry about her safety! Famous Atsuko Kagari goes where she wants to, with no thought for the consequences."

Akko stayed silent. Professor Finnelan was trying to provoke her into telling the truth. She wasn't going to do it. Professor Finnelan had no proof – yet.

"You are extraordinarily like your mother in the worst possible way, Miss Kagari," Professor Finnelan said suddenly, her eyes glinting. "She too was exceedingly arrogant. A small amount of talent - which she would only squander later in life – made her think she was a cut above the rest too. Strutting around the place with her friends and admirers…The resemblance between you is uncanny."

"My mom didn't _strut_ ," said Akko, before she could stop herself. "And neither do I."

"Your mother didn't set much store by rules either," Professor Finnelan went on, pressing her advantage, her thin face full of malice. "Rules were for lesser mortals, not the great Shiny Chariot. Her head was so swollen – "

"SHUT UP!"

Akko was suddenly on her feet. Rage such as she had not felt since her last night in Jingumae was coursing through her. She didn't care that Professor Finnelan's face had gone rigid, her eyes flashing dangerously.

" _What did you say to me, Miss Kagari?_ "

"I told you to shut up about my mom!" Akko yelled. "Shiny Chariot is the greatest witch that ever lived. I know the truth! Shiny Chariot made a group to save the world! She's the reason magic is still alive today!"

Professor Finnelan's shallow skin had gone the color of sour milk.

"I don't know where you got this information from," she whispered, "but you seemed to have left a few details out. Tell me, do you know what sort of people Chariot Du Nord invited into her organization to 'save the world' as you so eloquently put it."

"If you're talking about Izetta – "

"Oh, it's more than just Izetta Du Nord that was troublesome," she said, the frown lines etching deeper into her skin. "I would hate for you to run away with a false idea of your mother, Kagari. Have you been imagining so sort of league of heroes – good-natured men and women in the pursuit of a better world. No. Your mother associated herself with known criminals and villains for her own selfish goals. Ruvik – a well-known mass murderer – Cinder Fall – a terrorist and thief – Zeref Dragneel – a man who brought death and destruction everywhere he went. Your mother was far from the saint you portrayed her to be. Every action she committed was out of her own selfishness, not caring who got hurt in the process…not even my…."

Professor Finnelan turned her back to Akko, leaning against her desk and taking a deep, shuddering breath. There was a long pause of silence….

"Put everything you have on my desk, Miss Kagari!" she spat suddenly.

Akko didn't move. There was a pounding in her ears.

"Put them on my desk, or we go straight to the headmistress! Now, Miss Kagari!"

Cold with dread, Akko slowly put her bag from the magic item shop and the Shiny Guide Book on the desk.

Professor Finnelan peeked inside the magic item bag.

"Lotte gave them to me," said Akko, praying she'd get a chance to tip Lotte off before Professor Finnelan saw her. "She – brought them back from Blytonbury last time – "

"And yet all of these look brand new. I don't imagine…frog juice would last this long without expiring…. And what is this?"

Professor Finnelan picked up the Guide Book. Akko tried with all her might to keep her face impassive.

"Just a blank book – you know, like a journal," she said with a shrug.

Professor Finnelan flipped through it, her eyes on Akko.

"It doesn't appear that you have written anything in it," she said. "Surely you don't need something this _old_ and tattered? Why don't I just – throw this away?"

Her hand moved toward the fire.

"No!" Akko said quickly.

"So!" said Professor Finnelan, her nostrils quivering. "Is this another treasured gift from Miss Jansson? Or is it – something else? A message, perhaps, written in invisible ink? Or – instructions to get into Blytonbury without passing the Heartless?"

Akko blinked. Professor Finnelan's eyes gleamed.

"Let me see, let me see…," she muttered, taking out her wend and opening the book in the middle. "Reveal your secret!" she said, touching the wand to the page.

Nothing happened. Akko clenched her hands to stop them from shaking.

"Show yourself!" Professor Finnelan said, tapping the map sharply.

It stayed blank. Akko was taking deep, calming breaths.

"Professor Anne Finnelan, master of this school, commands you to yield the information you conceal!" Professor Finnelan said, hitting the Guide Book with her wand.

As though an invisible hand were writing upon it, words appeared on the smooth surface of the page.

" _The Du Nord Sisters present their compliments to Professor Finnelan, and begs her to keep her abnormally large nose out of other people's business._ "

Professor Finnelan froze. Akko stared, dumbstruck, at the message. But the Guide Book didn't stop there. More writing was appearing beneath the first.

" _The Du Nord Sisters would also like to add that Professor Finnelan is an ugly cow._ "

It would have been very funny if the situation hadn't been so serious. And there was more….

" _The Du Nord Sisters would like to register their astonishment that a hag like that could even become a professor._ "

Akko closed her eyes in horror. When she'd opened them, the Guide Book had its last word.

" _The Du Nord Sisters bid Professor Finnelan good day, and advise her to wash that rat's nest she calls hair._ "

Akko waited for the blow to fall.

"So…," said Professor Finnelan softly. "We'll see about this…."

She strode across office to a empty space in the corner, whipped out her wand, and fabricated a magic circle on the floor and ceiling with a twitch of her hand. She then opened up her desk drawer and pulled out a crystal ball.

"Professor Ursula!" Professor Finnelan yelled into the glass. "I want a word!"

She tossed the crystal into the air between the two magic circles, which immediately started to glow. Seconds later, a speck of light shot out from the crystal ball and exploded in a puff of smoke before Ursula stumbled forward. She was a little healthier than the last time Akko saw her, but she couldn't help noticing that a thin tube was running through her arm. Ursula must have noticed Akko staring because she pulled her sleeve down.

"You called, Professor Finnelan," said Ursula mildly.

"I certainly did," said Professor Finnelan, her face contorted with fury as she strode back to her desk. "I had just asked Miss Kagari to relieve her items. She was carrying this."

She pointed at the Guide Book, on which the words of the Du Nord Sisters were still shining. An odd, closed expression appeared on Ursula's face.

"Well?" said Professor Finnelan.

Ursula continued to stare at the Guide Book. Akko had the impression that Ursula was doing some very quick thinking.

" _Well?_ " said Professor Finnelan again. "This is one of Chariot Du Nord's creations, is it not? I figured you would know about it since you are er…particularly close to Chariot Du Nord. Where do you imagine Miss Kagari got such a thing?"

Ursula looked up and, by the merest half-glance in Akko's direction, warned her not to interrupt.

"Too right you are, Professor," Ursula agreed. "This book is one of Chariot's inventions, though it was a poorly thought out one. It's a book that insults anybody who reads it. Chariot would often hide it in the library and watch people's reactions when they picked it out. Childish, but surely not dangerous? As for where Miss Kagari got it from, I can imagine that she found it in the library where Chariot left it since leaving the school. Obviously, she would want to keep a memento of her mother's – "

"Indeed?" said Professor Finnelan. Her jaw had gone rigid with anger. "You think she just happened to find this book purely by accident? You don't think it more likely that she got it _directly from the manufacturers_?"

Akko didn't understand what Professor Finnelan was talking about, though Ursula's expression had gone equally rigid.

"Are you implying that Chariot Du Nord just walked up to Akko and handed it to her?" said Ursula. "I would think that Miss Kagari would have made a huge deal of it if that were the case. She by no means holds back her admiration for Shiny Chariot."

"There's something more you're not telling me, Professor Ursula," said Professor Finnelan. "I know this book is not just for insulting people. It must be a map or something of the like. Otherwise, how could Miss Kagari have acquired all these magical items without leaving Luna Nova – "

Right on cue, Lotte came bursting into the office. She was completely out of breath, and stopped just short of Professor Finnelan's desk, clutching the stitch in her chest and trying to speak.

"I – gave – Akko - that – stuff," she choked. "Bought – it…in Blytonbury…ages – ago…"

"Well!" said Ursula, clapping her hands together and looking around cheerfully. "That seem to clear that up! Professor Finnelan, I'll take this back, shall I?" She closed the book and tucked it under her arm. "Miss Kagari, Miss Jansson, come with me, I need a word about your homework assignments – excuse us, Professor – "

Akko didn't dare look at Finnelan as they left her office. She, Lotte, and Ursula walked all the way back down into the entrance hall before speaking. Then Akko turned to Ursula.

"Professor, I – "

"I don't want to hear a word from you, Miss Kagari!" Ursula snapped furiously; Akko and Lotte jumped back a little. She looked around the empty entrance hall, opened the Shiny Guide Book, and said, " _Makmur Mikmur Mektoral._ "

Akko supposed she shouldn't have been too surprised that Ursula knew the password to activate the Shiny Guide Book – she and Chariot were close friends in school. She and Lotte stayed uncomfortably quiet as Ursula flipped through the pages in a hurry, stopping on the page Akko knew showed the layout of Polaris Tower. Akko leaned over to sneak a glance. The map was mostly empty – all the first and second year students must be elsewhere. The only square on the page was Mikko, who was pacing around in the dormitory – Ursula looked relived for some reason. She flipped the pages again and this time stopped on the section that showed the fourth floor. Ursula traced her finger across the map until it stopped over the space where Master Noah's office should be. Except Master Noah's name wasn't on the book – there was another name there, one that Akko had never seen before: Amon.

 _ **SLAM!**_

Ursula closed the book with enough force that the noise vibrated off the walls. She turned to Akko and Lotte and gave them a deep, furious glare unlike anything either of them had seen on the timid professor.

"I don't want to hear explanations," she said in a low, cold voice. "I know for a fact that this Guide Book was confiscated by Elma many years ago. I don't want to know how it fell in your possession. I am, however, absolutely _furious_ that you didn't hand it in. Did you learn nothing from the Shiny Balai incident? This Guide Book is dangerous in the wrong hands! You should have come to me the moment you found it! This is the second time you've broken my trust, Akko!"

"But, Professor – "

"Do not speak unless I tell you to!" Ursula shouted; Akko squeaked and backed away. "What is it going to take to make you understand that your reckless actions have consequences? I would have thought that the attack on Miss Jansson would have made you more aware of the circumstances, but apparently it wasn't enough! You are on your last chance, Akko! If you set even one toe out of line again, I will have no choice but to – "

"You can't kick me off the Chariot team!" cried Akko. "We're playing the finals next! We have a shot at the Cup!"

"No, it's worse than that, Akko," said Ursula in a hollow tone. "If you do something as reckless as this again…I will have no choice but to expel you from Luna Nova Academy."

Akko swore that her heart had stopped; she had died right on the spot. As much as she wanted to believe that Ursula was making an empty threat, that she was just posturing, the fierce look in her eyes could only say that she wasn't joking; she was seriously going to expel her.

"I can't make you take the situation seriously, Akko," said Ursula quietly, "but I would have thought you care more about the people who put themselves at risk for your sake. I watched a lot of good people die – friends and loved ones – to keep you alive, Akko. This is a poor way to repay them – gambling their sacrifices for a bag of magic tricks."

She walked away, leaving Akko feeling worse by far than she had at any point in Professor Finnelan's office. Slowly, she and Lotte mounted the spiral staircase. As Akko passed the one-eyed witch, she remembered the Ring of Gyges – it was still down there, but she didn't dare go and get it.

"Professor Ursula was right, you know," said Lotte abruptly. "It was my fault; I should have convinced you not to go. It was stupid, we shouldn't have done it – "

She broke off; they reached the corridor where the security orcs were pacing, and Wendy was walking toward them. One look on her face told Akko that something terrible had happened; not what she needed on top of everything else.

"Wendy, are you okay?" asked Lotte concerned. "Do you need to go to the hospital wing or – "

"No," said Wendy. She was holding a letter in her hands and her lip was trembling. "I just thought you should know…Professor Pisces lost her case. Qing is going to be executed."

* * *

 **Next chapter: The Chariot Cup**


	15. The Chariot Cup

**Akko Kagari and the White Witch**

 **Chapter Fifteen: The Chariot Cup**

"She – she sent me this?" Wendy said, holding out the letter.

Akko took it and read aloud:

 _ **Dear Miss Marvell**_

 _ **I am sorry to say that we have lost the case. I have been allowed to bring Qing  
back to Luna Nova. The execution date has also been fixed. Take some small  
comfort that Qing was able to enjoy his brief stay in Australia. I won't forget  
all the help you have given us.**_

 _ **Sincerely  
Professor Pisces**_

"They can't do this," said Akko. "They can't. Qing isn't dangerous."

"Diana's aunt frightened the Committee into it," said Wendy, wiping her eyes. "Remember what Diana said, about the Cavendish's having a lot of influence? She scared them all into doing what she says. There'll be an appeal, though, there always is. Only I can't see any hope….Diana's right, we can't win this."

"Yeah, we will," said Akko fiercely. "You won't have to do all the work alone this time, Wendy. I'll help."

" _We_ will help," said Lotte, setting a reassuring hand on Wendy's small shoulder. "All of us from Polaris. No matter how difficult it may be, you can count on us. And if that doesn't work, you know Akko will just break the rules to get what she wants and somehow come away clean."

"That…actually seems likely," said Akko, nodding sagely.

* * *

The safety measures imposed on the students since Izetta and the mysterious intruder's latest break-in made it impossible for Akko, the Polaris girls, and Wendy to go an visit Professor Pisces in the evenings since Akko knew very well that the fishy teacher lived in an aquarium in the Headmistress's office. Their only chance of talking to her was during Study of Abnormal Creatures lessons.

Her voice seemed hollow as opposed to her normally angelic tone.

"It's all my fault. I got – what do you humans call it? – tongue-tied. They were all sitting in their black cloaks, judging us, and I dropped my notes at one point and forgot all the dates you looked up for me, Miss Marvell. And then Daryl Cavendish stood up and said her piece, and the Committee did exactly as she told them…."

"There's still the appeal" said Akko fiercely. "Don't give up yet, we're working on it."

"It won't do you any good."

Akko spun around and turned to Diana, who was pointedly looking at the ground and away from Akko's gaze as if afraid of being burned by it.

"There's no point, Akko," said Diana remorsefully. "The Committee is under my Aunt Deryl's thumb. The best thing that can be done now is to make the best of the Qilin's time left. We…I…owe him that much…."

"But we can fight this!" yelled Akko. "We still have the appeal and the – "

"Akko… _Sybilladura Lelladybura_ ," Diana recited softly. "The decision has already been made – there's no point in trying to change the past. The only thing we can do now is accept it and move forward."

"I can't believe you would just give up like that!" shouted Akko furiously. "Since when does the great Diana Cavendish just throw in the towel."

"Unless you have some way of turning back time, I don't see how you can do anything at this point," said Diana with an exhausted sigh. "Besides, you have other things that demand your attention. The match to determine the Chariot Cup is coming up soon, and I can guarantee you that neither Testarossa nor myself have any intention of losing."

"All right, that's enough," said Professor Pisces, cutting into the conversation before Akko could retort. "You are all due in charms next. We had best hurry back up to the castle."

Professor Pisces lead the class up the grassy slope to the stone steps of the castle. Akko looked back at Diana, who was treading in the very back of the pack behind Hannah and Barbara, looking like she was going to fall over any minute. She remembered Wendy's concerns that Diana might be pushing herself too hard, and Akko couldn't help agreeing, careful to notice how lackluster her usually golden hair was and the heavy black rings under her eyes.

"Akko, where're you going!" Jasminka called from the spiraling staircase, making Akko realize that she was walking towards the dining hall without noticing. "We're going to be late for class! Hurry up!"

They hurried up the spiraling staircase towards Professor Kowata's classroom.

"Hey, you're late!" said Akane with an annoyed pout on her lips as Akko opened the classroom door. "Come on, quickly, wands out, we're experimenting with Emotional Charms today, we've already divided into pairs – "

Everyone hurried to a desk; Akko and Lotte sat together and opened their bags. Hannah and Barbara were that last ones to take a seat…and just them.

"Where did Diana go?" asked Lotte

Akko looked around too. Diana hadn't entered the classroom, yet Akko knew she had been right behind her when she had opened the door.

"That's weird," said Akko, leaning over to Hannah and Barbara's desk. "Hey, you two, did you see where Diana went?"

"Wait, what?" said Hannah, looking surprised when she turned in her seat and realized her idol wasn't present. "But she was standing right next to us a minute ago."

"Maybe she went to the bathroom," Barbara suggested.

But Diana didn't turn up all lesson.

"She could have used one of those laughing treats," said Amanda as the class left for lunch, trying to suppress the urge to giggle – Akane's lessons involved them eating snacks that were enchanted to bring out different emotions such as laughter and sadness.

Diana wasn't at lunch either. By the time they had finished their black forest cake, the after-effects of the emotion snacks were wearing off, and everyone started to feel the same sense of worry. Akko, the Polaris Girls, and Hannah and Barbara were the first to leave the dining hall and started an extensive search of the castle.

"Maybe she in the library," said Hannah anxiously as they hurried upstairs. "That's the only other place I think she would be besides the dorms."

They slipped across the corridor floors, not apologizing to Elma when they bumped into her and sent papers flying everywhere, and burst through the library's double doors, ignoring Badcock's hissing.

Diana was sitting at their usual table, fast asleep, her head resting on an open Numerology book. Akko let out a deep breath of relief and sat down at her right side while Hannah took the left. Akko prodded her awake.

"Wh – what?" said Diana, waking with a start and staring wildly around. "Is it time to go? W – which lesson have we got now?"

"Foretelling, but it's not for another twenty minutes," said Akko. "Diana, why didn't you come to Charms?"

"What? Oh no!" Diana squeaked. "I forgot to go to Charms!"

"But how could you forget?" said Barbara. "You were with us till we were right outside the classroom!"

"I don't believe it!" Diana wailed. "Was Professor Kowata angry? Oh, it was Wendy and the Qilin, I was thinking about them and I lost track of things!"

"You know what, Diana?" said Sucy, looking down at the enormous Numerology book Diana had been using as a pillow. "I think you're experiencing the first stages of a mental breakdown. You're trying to do too much at once."

"No, I'm not!" said Diana, brushing her hair out of her eyes and staring hopelessly around for her bag. "I just made a mistake, that's all! I'd better go and see Professor Kowata and say sorry…. I'll see you in Foretelling!"

Diana joined Akko and Jasminka at the foot of the ladder to Ursula's classroom twenty minutes later, looking extremely harassed.

"I can't believe I missed the Emotional Charms! And I bet they come up in our exams; Professor Kowata hinted they might!"

Together they climbed the ladder into the cramped, starry room. Glowing on every little table was a crystal ball full of pearly white mist. Akko, Jasminka, Diana, and Wendy sat at their usual table together – the awkwardness between Diana and Wendy just as present since their first class.

"I thought we weren't starting crystal balls until next term," Jasminka muttered, casting a wary eye around for Ursula, in case she was lurking nearby.

"I'm not complaining, this means we're done with palmistry," Akko muttered back. "I hated how embarrassed I felt whenever Diana held my hand."

"You really have it bad, don't you?" Jasminka giggled.

"Good day to you all," said Ursula as she made her entrance from the trapdoor, starting the class off by bumping her knee into the first table as usual. In the milky glow of the crystal balls, Akko couldn't help noticing that Ursula's sleeves were lower than usual; the vivid memory of that tube in her wrist taking the forefront of her mind.

"I know you weren't expecting to jump into crystal balls until later," said Ursula, sitting in the high-backed chair in the front of the class and gazing around. "But in light of recent…circumstances owing to my personal health, I felt that it was necessary to introduce crystal gazing earlier than scheduled. This will be an important part in your exams."

Diana's hand immediately flew into the air.

"Professor, you say that there are circumstances owing to your personal health," said Diana, frowning. "Have you fallen ill?"

There was a quiet murmur passing through the classroom, most of them voicing concern and a slight bit of fear. It was hard to tell what Ursula's expression was like, as her face was hidden in shadow.

"Yes, I am feeling a bit under the weather, Miss Cavendish," said Ursula in a calming voice. "Stress related, I assure you. But let's not worry about that; we should focus on our lesson. Crystal gazing is a particularly difficult practice. I do not expect any of you to see anything when you first peer into the orb. For now, we will start by practicing relaxing our mind and our bodies, clearing them of any thoughts of the physical world so that we can connect to the spiritual realm. Perhaps, if we are lucky, some of you will be able to see something before the end of class."

And so they began. Akko, in particular, was struggling very hard to clear her mind of thoughts like the upcoming Chariot Cup, Diana's potential breakdown, Ursula's health, and the whereabouts of Izetta and the masked person – she had a lot of reasons to be worried, now that she thought about it. She could only imagine how stupid she looked; she could _feel_ her face turning red from the sheer amount of focus she was exerting. It certainly wasn't helping that Jasminka kept breaking out into silent giggles as she brushed her finger along the ball and Diana kept tutting.

"Seen anything yet?" Akko asked them as a quarter of an hour's quiet crystal gazing.

"Yeah, there's a burn on this table," said Wendy, pointing. "Someone spilled their candle."

"This is such a waste of time," Diana hissed. "I could be practicing something useful. I could be catching up on Emotional Charms – "

Ursula rustled past.

"Have any of you see anything inside the crystal ball yet?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, I think I can see the future," Akko whispered. "Judging by the swirling mists inside this ball, it's clearly obvious what it's trying to say: there's going to be a lot of fog tonight."

Both Wendy and Jasminka burst out laughing; even Ursula giggled amusingly.

"Well, that is a very fair assumption," said Ursula playfully as everyone's heads turned in their direction; Diana scoffed and rolled her eyes. "But, Akko, let's try to be serious now, shall we? I know you of all people have the greatest potential for this – you've proven that in your Magic Astrology classes. Now go on, look deeply inside the ball. Push out all thought and focus only on the ball."

"That shouldn't be too hard for you, Akko," said Jasminka.

She probably didn't mean that as an insult and was only stating facts, which really annoyed Akko nonetheless.

Akko narrowed her eyes and focused only on the crystal ball, trying to force any other thoughts out of her head. For what seemed like hours, Akko only saw the endless depths of swirling white mists. And then she saw something else – black shadows against the white background. Akko's eyebrows flew up to her hairline as the dark shadows started forming into distinguishable shapes.

"I – I see something," Akko stammered with surprise evident in her voice. "It – it looks like a man – no, wait, a woman. Yeah, it's definitely a woman."

"Good, good," Ursula whispered, lowering her face to the ball only inches from Akko's. "And what is this woman doing?"

"She's…standing over a second person," Akko breathed. "The second person is on the ground, bowing – no, wait, they're kneeling. They've…they've been defeated. Now…the woman is taking something from the second person. It looks like…a stick…or maybe a staff…. The woman is holding the staff in the air. I think…there are seven dots in the staff. I think…I think it's the Shiny – "

"Okay, now this is just getting ridiculous," said Diana loudly. "You aren't seeing anything, Akko, you're just making it up. If I can't see anything in this stupid crystal ball, I seriously doubt you – who have so little magical talent – could."

A hushed silence fell over the classroom as everyone stared at Diana, eyes wide with shock and horror. Akko was plenty used to hearing everyone say how she was the worst student to ever attend Luna Nova from her classmates to the teachers, but Diana had never said anything before. Ursula stood up, surveying Diana with a look of sorrow.

"I know you don't mean what you say," said Ursula kindly. "That is not you speaking – that is the overwhelming stress stamping on the last of your nerves. Diana…you have taken on took much at one time, and it has had a negative effect on your mental state…. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that you aren't cut out for Foretelling, Diana, not because you aren't capable, but because you are too practical-minded for an art that derives solely from spiritual faith."

Diana leaned forward and pressed her face into her hands, looking ready to burst at any moment. Ursula walked around the table and gently rested her hand on Diana's shoulder.

"I would strongly recommend dropping the class," said Ursula softly. "Don't worry, I will make sure it doesn't affect your final grade. But I would strongly recommend you going to Porlyusica and ask for a sleeping draught – a good, long rest can do wonders."

"Okay…," said Diana in a small voice, sniffling and wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Okay….," she repeated, dumping her copy of _Finding the Future_ into her bag and standing up. "I'll be going now…. Akko, I'm…I'm sorry…you, too, Wendy…. I'm so, so sorry."

The whole class watched in anxiously as Diana all but dragged herself to the trapdoor, pulled it open, and climbed down the ladder out of sight.

It took a few minutes for the class to settle down again. Ursula let out a deep, remorseful sigh as she turned to Akko, Jasminka and Wendy's table, staring at the empty seat between them as if she had been defeated.

"Ooooo!" said Makoto suddenly, making everyone jump. "Oooooo, Professor Ursula, I've just remembered! You saw her leaving, didn't you! Didn't you, Professor? ' _Around Easter, one of our numbers will no longer be with us!_ ' You said it the first day of class, Professor!"

Ursula blinked like she had been blindsided.

"You actually remember that? Truth be told, Miss Kowata, most of those 'predictions' were just something I made up at the time. I honestly wasn't trying to predict anything. Though now that you bring it up, it is a rather scary thought."

Makoto looked visibly deflated, but still a little impressed with Ursula's prophetic ability without even trying.

"Some day Diana's having, huh?" Jasminka muttered to Akko, looking awed.

"Yeah…."

Akko glanced into the crystal ball again but saw nothing except the swirling mist. She couldn't shake the shadows from her mind. A woman standing over someone, holding what she perceived to be the Shiny Rod. Was it really just her imagination as Diana claimed, or did Akko truly catch a glimpse at her own future – a future of her own defeat.

* * *

The Easter holidays were not exactly relaxing. The third years had so much homework that the majority of them couldn't go back home to their families over break, including Akko, who regretfully called her parents to inform them of her change in plans.

" _Just make sure you're doing all your work, Akko_ ," Mrs. Kagari told her over the phone. " _I don't want to hear from your teachers that you are spending your break blowing up toilets again._ "

"Oh, c'mon, that's Blair's trick, not mine!" Akko complained.

But nobody had as much to do as Diana. Even without Foretelling, she was taking more subjects than anybody else. She was usually the last to leave the library at night, and the first to arrive the next morning. Thankfully, Akko heard from Hannah and Barbara that Diana was taking longer breaks to rest, mostly contributed to Hannah secretly slipped sedatives in her evening tea.

Lotte and Sucy had taken over responsibility for Qing's appeal. When they weren't doing their own work, they were poring over enormously thick volumes with names like _The Handbook of Qilin Psychology_ and _The Archaic Study of Qilin Behavioral Patterns._ They were so absorbed, that even Sucy forgot to sneak into Akko's bed for her weekly poisoning.

Akko, meanwhile, had to fit in her homework around Chariot Racing practice every day, not to mention the endless discussions of tactics with Amelia. The Chariot Cup race would take place on the first Saturday after the Easter holidays. Corona was leading the tournament by exactly five hundred points. This meant (as Amelia constantly reminded her team) that they needed to win the match by more than that amount to win the Cup. It also meant that the burden of winning fell largely on Akko, because crossing the finish line first as the team's Anchor was worth three hundred points.

"So you have to cross the finish line first, but _only_ if we're _more than_ two hundred points up," Amelia told Akko constantly. "Only if we're more than two hundred points up, Akko, or we win the match, but lose the cup. You've got that, haven't you? You must cross the finish line first only if we're – "

"I KNOW, O'NEILL!" Akko screamed.

The whole of Polaris House was obsessed with the upcoming match. Polaris hadn't won the Chariot Cup since the legendary Aurora O'Neill (Amanda's oldest sister) had been Anchor. But Akko doubted whether any of them, even Amelia, wanted to win as much as she did. Ever since her first match, Akko had been the Queen of the racing track – the one thing that she could proudly say she was better at than anything else – but with the loss of the Shooting Star and Fate's sudden rise in the ranks, Akko's pride was now on the line. The air was thick with tension between them whenever they were in the same room; awkward silence met with heated gazes – no one considered Diana much of a contender anymore given her recent issues.

Never, in anyone's memory, had a match approached in such a highly charged atmosphere. By the time the holidays were over, the intensity between the teams and their Houses was at the breaking point. A number of small scuffles broke out in the corridors, culminating in a nasty incident in which a Polaris fourth year and a Corona sixth year ended up in the hospital wing with leeks sprouting out of their ears.

Akko was having a particularly bad time of it. She couldn't walk to class without students from other Houses sticking their legs out and trying to trip her up; Bayonette and her teammates kept popping up wherever she went, and slouched away looking disappointed when they saw her surrounded by people. Amelia had given instructions that Akko should be accompanied everywhere she went, in case the other teams tried to put her out of action. The whole of Polaris House took up the challenge enthusiastically, so that it was impossible for Akko to get to classes on time because she was surrounded by a vast, chattering crowd. Akko was more concerned about the Shiny Balai. She still didn't know the Word to activate it, but it somehow always changed whenever she needed it during practice – Akko did notice that every time it transformed, she could always hear Mikko yipping from the stands. But that was just a coincidence, right…?

* * *

All usual pursuits were abandoned in the Polaris common room the night before the match. Even Constanze had put down her wrench and Sucy didn't break out her poison kit.

"I can't work, the atmosphere is too intense," said Sucy monotonously.

There was a great deal of noise. Avery Buckland was dealing with the pressure by being louder and more exuberant than ever. Amelia O'Neill was crouched over a model of the racing track in the corner, prodding little figures across it with her wand and muttering to herself. Rajani and Rashmi were laughing at Avery's jokes. Akko was sitting with Lotte, Sucy, Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka, removed from the center of things, trying not to think about the next day, because every time she did, she had the horrible sensation that something very large was fighting to get out of her stomach.

"You're going to be fine," Lotte told her, though she looked positively terrified.

"You've got the _Shiny Balai_!" said Amanda.

"Yeah…," said Akko, her stomach writhing.

It came as a relief when Amelia suddenly stood up and yelled, "Team! Bed!"

* * *

Akko slept badly. First she dreamed that she had overslept, and that Amelia was yelling, "Where were you? We had to use Sucy instead!" Then she dreamed that Fate and the rest of the Corona team arrived for the match riding dragons. She was flying at breakneck speed, trying to avoid a spurt of flames from Fate's steed, when she realized the Shiny Balai vanished underneath her. She fell through the air and woke with a start.

It was a few second before Akko remembered that the match hadn't taken place yet, that she was safe in bed, and that the Corona team definitely wouldn't be allowed to play on dragons. She was feeling very thirsty. Quietly as she could, she got out of her four-poster and went to pour herself some water from the jug beneath the window next to Sucy's bed – after making sure it wasn't poisoned, of course.

The grounds were still and quiet. No breath of wind disturbed the treetops in the Arcturus Forest; Gora-Chan was motionless and innocent-looking. It looked as though the conditions for the race would be perfect.

Akko set down her glass and was about to turn back to her bed when something caught her eye. Someone was prowling across the silvery lawn – someone with bright-red hair.

She peered out at the grounds, her heart pounding in her chest. It couldn't be Izetta again – not now – not right before the match –

After a minute's frantic searching, she spotted them. They were skirting the edge of the forest now…. The person on the grounds did have bright red hair like Izetta's, they were different – this person's hair was straight and reached well past her waist as opposed to Izetta's short, messy style. Akko clutched the window ledge in relief knowing it wasn't Izetta, but there was something about the mysterious woman that seemed to stir something in the back of Akko's mind. She only wished the woman would turn around so she could see her face….

But why was she alone on the grounds? Akko squinted, pressing her nose flat against the glass. The red-haired woman seemed to have come to a halt. Akko was sure she could see something else moving in the shadow of the trees too.

And just then, she emerged – the faint image of a woman with short red hair appeared from underneath the darkness. She was moving stealthily across the lawn, the long-haired woman trotting at her side. Akko stared. What did this mean? Was the second woman in allegiance with Izetta? Could _she_ have been the masked figure that attacked Lotte?

"Sucy!" Akko hissed. "Sucy! Wake up!"

"You must be so scared about tomorrow's match that you want me to kill you," Sucy mumbled thickly. "Because that's the only plausible reason why you would wake me up."

"C'mon, Sucy, I need you to tell if you can see something!"

"It's dark, Akko. What're you going on about?"

"Down here – "

Akko looked quickly back out the window.

Izetta and the other woman had vanished. Akko climbed onto the windowsill to look right down into the shadows of the castle, but they weren't there. Where had they gone?

"They were right there, I saw – "

Without warning, Sucy shoved something that tasted like a mushroom into Akko's open mouth. After being forced to swallow, Akko felt a sudden rush of dizziness before she blacked out, landing face first on the floor and snoring loudly.

* * *

Akko and the rest of the Polaris team entered the great hall to a stifling atmosphere that could make one choke. Akko felt her nerves tense up when she noticed students from other houses leering at her. The dining hall was usually a shared environment where the Houses mingled outside of class, but one look around the hall told Akko that everyone was only sitting with members of their own House. Hannah and Barbara, as expected, lead the Lunar House in a tangent of hissing as they passed. Akko noticed that Diana was still pale.

Amelia spent the whole of breakfast urging the team to eat, while touching nothing herself. Then she hurried them off to the track before anyone else had finished, so they could get an idea of the conditions.

"Okay – no wind to speak of – sun's a bit bright, that could impair your vision, watch out for it – "

Amelia paced the track, staring around with the team behind her. Finally, they saw the front doors of the castle open in the distance and the rest of the school spilling onto the lawn.

"Locker rooms," said Amelia tersely.

None of them spoke as they changed into the bright-red uniforms. Akko wondered if they were feeling like she was: as though she'd eaten something extremely wriggly for breakfast. In what seemed like no time at all, Amelia was saying, "Okay, it's time, let's go – "

They walked out onto the track to a tidal wave of noise. The entire stadium had been divided into fifths, each waving a different color: apple-red, dusty yellow, soft orange, deep purple and light-blue. Students were brandishing banners with slogans like "SHOOT FOR THE STARS" and "SHINE LIKE THE SUN". The teachers were also choosing sides. Akko could see Ursula sitting in the front row between Lotte and Constanze, having her one little flag and chanting Akko's name. And, shockingly enough, Croix was right there next to her, holding up a sign with Akko's number despite being Head of Eclipse House. The Corona side was without a doubt the loudest in the stands with Professor Akane, Head of the Corona House, waving her wand around like a conductor's baton and leading a live band in an uplifting song.

"Captains, shake hands!" said Professor Kiki.

Amelia, Bayonetta, Zatanna, and Lightning regarded Zelda with looks of contempt as the five captains shook hands; the blonde princess obviously noticed and seemed to take the glares as complimentary. The staring players took to the track while the other members moved to the sidelines.

"Mount your brooms!" said Professor Kiki. "Three…two…one…"

The sound of her whistle was lost in the roar from the crowd as the frontrunners rose into the air and shot down the track. The field randomizer buzzed as it made its selection; in seconds the stadium transformed into an industrial zone choking with warehouses, walls of pipes, heavy machinery, and large chimney stacks that blotted the sky in smog.

"And it's Polaris in the lead, Amelia O'Neill taking an early head start!" yelled Wangari, who was acting as commentator as usual. "She's weaving through the pipes like needlework! But Swan from Twilight is catching up – OOH! Oh no, Swan just took a spell in the back from Angela, earning the starting points for Lunar! Rachel from Corona is taking her time near the rear of the pack! She spies a ring – she takes a dive – WHAM! – Unbelievable, Amelia O'Neill takes a backwards shot from the front and nails Rachel between the eyes, almost knocking her off her broom! HANG IN THERE, SWAN! Meanwhile, Cleo from Eclipse destroys two targets, bumping her up into second place! Rachel is trying for another ring – AUGH, ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Angela intercepts and makes the catch first! Everyone is out to sabotage Corona! Everyone is coming out the final turn – they're making a break away for the next runners – AND AMELIA O'NEILL MAKES THE PASS! AVERY BUCKLAND IS IN THE LEAD!"

Avery shot off like a rocket and punched her fist in the air; the red section was screaming their delight –

"AHHH!"

Avery's broom suddenly stopped in midair and she was thrown forward onto the track. A long chain of magic had grappled the tail end and was connected to the Eclipse player's open hand.

"Sorry!" said the Eclipse player as the crowd booed all around him. "Sorry, I wasn't aiming for her broom! Honest!"

A moment later, the second runner from Corona swooped in and tackled Avery's attacker from the side. The Eclipse racer was nearly thrown off her broom and was now hanging upside down on it.

"That will do!" shrieked Professor Kiki, zooming between them. "Point penalties to Eclipse for an illegal upheaval move against Polaris! And point penalties to Corona for a deliberate attack on Eclipse!"

"Come off is, Miss!" howled the Corona player, but Professor Kiki blew her whistle and flew away.

Avery quickly mounted her broom, rose into the air, and Professor Kiki blew the whistle to continue the game. The course randomizer buzzed and the industrial zone melted into the ground and was quickly replaced with a field of sharp, mountainous glacier. Akko shivered and rubbed her arms for warmth as a bone-chilling wind blew past the sidelines, sorely wishing their uniforms were insulated.

"After a rocky start, Lunar and Twilight quickly amass a firm lead against the other teams!" yelled Wangari over the thunderous roars of hissing and cheering as the racers entered the zone. "Brunhilde from Corona and Lokey from Eclipse seem to be engaged in a fire fight – tensions seem to be running strong between them! Meanwhile, Avery from Polaris dives into the freezing water – I do not envy her! Wait a minute, she's coming back up – YES! AVERY BUCKLAND SNATCHES UP A RING FOR POLARIS!"

Akko leaned around Rashmi and stared up at the scoreboard hovering near the commentator's stand. The scores were very close and they were constantly changing, but so far, after everything that happened, Polaris was still only a hundred points ahead; they needed more than two hundred if they had any chance of winning. Akko snapped up in attention when Rashmi poked her in the shoulder and pointed ahead, gesturing her to pay attention. Akko looked forward and realized the racers were now three-quarters of the way finished; Rajani was already mounting her broom on the track

"Lana from Lunar stops for a moment to pick up a ring, giving Galea from Twilight a wider lead!" yelled Wangari. "But Avery from Polaris is quickly catching up – she's coming up behind Lana – OOF! Killer shot to the back of the head by Avery; that's definitely going to hurt in the morning. Brunhilde and Lokey seemed to have called a ceasefire and a now streaking up the track after the leaders! Avery is slowly closing the gap between her and Galea as they exit the track and make their way to the next runners! It's neck and neck! Avery reaches out and – HEY! WHAT THE HELL? THAT WAS DELIBERATE!"

Galea, the Twilight player, had reached out from behind Avery, seized her by the hair, and pulled back sharply. Avery cartwheeled in the air, managed to stay on her broom, but she lost the ring she collected earlier just as the Lunar, Eclipse and Corona players caught up.

Professor Kiki's whistle rang out again and the game paused as she soared over to the Twilight player and began shouting at her. After giving Twilight a point penalty, Professor Kiki blew the whistle again and all five teams passed their rings on to the next runners at the same time.

"THE NEXT GROUP IS OFF NOW, NO THANKS TO THAT DIRTY, CHEATING – "

"Wangari, if you can't commentate in an unbiased way - !"

"Just telling it like it is, Professor!"

Akko felt a huge jolt of excitement as the Glacier track evaporated and was replaced by the Windy track, an unobstructed course where the only obstacle came from the heavy gales of wind that blew in every direction at random. Rajani was the one that taught Akko how to predict the direction of the wind and how to ride with the flow for an extra boost with only half the magic. As she anticipated, Rajani was riding back and forth with the breeze, almost like she could see into the future, and was creating a huge gap with the other players. When they attempted to shoot her down, their spells would get caught in the breeze and swerve off, either flying into the stands or falling back to hit themselves.

Once she seemed certain that the other players weren't a threat to her, Rajani flew close to the ground and started shooting the targets, which had taken the shape of scarecrows. She destroyed three targets and Polaris was now in the lead with exactly two hundred points. Rajani started flying toward a fourth scarecrow when –

 _ **BOOM!**_

A massive explosion erupted underneath the scarecrow and the updraft sent Rajani flying backwards in the air, where she was caught in a strong gust that pushed her back farther –

 _ **BOOM!**_

This time, the explosion went off directly underneath Rajani and sent her upwards, where she was caught in another unexpected gale that nearly sent her flying into the stands. She turned her broom at the last second to keep herself from hitting the bench full of Polaris students and flew back onto course. Unfortunately, both Corona and Eclipse's players shot into the lead; the Eclipse player was laughing over her shoulder.

"Ha haaa!" yelled Wangari. "Too bad for Polaris! Raven from Eclipse used a clever explosion spell combined with a digging spell to shoot her magic past the torrential winds! Now It's Eclipse in the leader followed closely behind by Corona's Earhart! Earhart is pulling up alongside Raven – poke her in the eye, Earhart! – it was a joke, professor, it was a joke – oh no, Earhart gets caught in the current! Rajani manages to pass Earhart as they exit the course - !"

But Raven shot Rajani in the leg at the last moment, sending her flying sideways away from Rashmi and letting the other teams catch up; Wangari swore so badly that Professor Finnelan tried to tug the microphone away from her.

"Sorry, Professor, sorry! Won't happen again! So, Eclipse takes a short lead ahead of the pack while Polaris is pushed to the back, but Polaris still has a strong lead points wise – "

It was turning into the dirtiest game Akko had ever played in. With the team scores flying up and down the board, there was a whole lot of panic and confusion among the racers and they were starting to resort to any means necessary to take back the lead. The Twilight racer blatantly slapped Rashmi across the face and managed to get away with claiming it was an accident due to having to wave the smoke out of her face from the Smog Zone they entered. Rashmi tried to hit back in retaliation, but was caught and lost fifty points for the team. And while Professor Kiki was calling out Rashmi, she failed to notice the Eclipse racer reaching over and tugging one of Zelda's rings off her wrist and losing a whole hundred points for Corona.

Akko looked back up at the leader board. They were only halfway through the fourth lap and Polaris had dropped down to a hundred-point lead over Corona. If Akko was going to close out the match with a first-place win, they needed more than two hundred (as Amelia was constantly reminding Akko by whispering in her ear). They knew Akko wouldn't be capable of scoring any points beyond crossing the finish line, so the biggest responsibility fell on Rashmi's shoulders –

And she didn't disappoint. Rashmi honed in on her keen senses and swerved through the smog, narrowly dodging further attempts at sabotage coming from Eclipse and Twilight. She managed to get shots on both teams and somehow found a ring hovering in the thickest cloud of smog, earning a full two hundred points in one go! This was it – Polaris was now three hundred points ahead of Corona.

Rashmi and the other racers were coming out of the track as Akko took her place between Diana and Fate. Akko activated the Stan-Units, hovering over the track, and held out her hand in eager anticipation for the rings. Sakura managed to successfully slide the rings onto Akko's wrist, but before she had a chance to fly forward, the previous Eclipse runner shoots a spell that slammed into Akko's stomach. She rolled over in the air, clutching her broom, completely winded, but managed to hold on to the rings.

Professor Kiki was beside herself.

"YOU DO NOT ATTACK ANOTHER RACER WHEN YOU ARE OFF THE TRACK!" she shrieked at the Eclipse player. "Point penalty to Eclipse!"

It seemed at this point that Eclipse and Twilight had resigned to their fate of not winning the Chariot Cup, so now they were gunning for Polaris and, by the way they were eyeing Diana, Lunar, too. They were looking to make sure that Corona won. That certainly made things harder.

After Akko righted herself up again, Professor Kiki blew her whistle and the match resumed. The course randomizer buzzed and Akko looked up just in time to see the track that had been selected: The Thunderstorm Track. The smog from the last course looked like it had been sucked up by an invisible black hole; black clouds covered the skies as rolling thunder rumbled over their heads; bolts of lightning striking the tracks, blasting deep holes in the asphalt. Akko swerved out of the way of another lightning bolt and ducked underneath a spell from the Eclipse Anchor.

Up ahead, Diana had deflected a shot sent her way by Twilight, and countered with a spell directly into the Twilight Anchor's chest, nearly knocking her off her broom. Akko put in a huge burst of speed; the crashing thunder roaring in her ears and the lightning almost blinding her. She reached level with Diana, but the Twilight and Eclipse Anchors were directly behind then, readying their wands –

A blur of yellow energy suddenly shot between them, zooming out in front and stopping directly in their path. Fate stared down the four Anchors as they raced closer in a very dangerous game of chicken. Fate raised her weapon to the sky and bolt of electricity was immediately drawn to it like a lightning rod; she was unharmed, but the electricity was bundled up in a ball of erratic energy at the tip of her weapon. She jabbed it forward and her voice rang out over the rumbling thunder –

" _ **Thunder Fall**_!"

Four strands of lightning explode from the energy sphere, flying in a perfect arc aimed at all four Anchors at once. Akko yelped and immediately threw up her shield spell, narrowly deflecting the lightning bolt to the ground, but the Eclipse and Twilight Anchors were hit with full force and thrown off their brooms, their clothes smoking and smelling like burned hair. Akko let out a sigh of relief until she noticed someone falling out of the corner of her eye. It was Diana – her exhaustion from the past stressful weeks must have made her moves too sluggish to defend herself.

"Diana!" Akko cried, watching her hit the tarmac hard, her body bouncing slightly.

"WHAT A PLAY!" Wangari was howling into the microphone, all but dancing in her seat. "IN ONE FELL SWOOP, FATE TESTAROSSA MANAGES TO TAKE OUT THREE PLAYERS IN ONE MOVE! NOW ONLY A HUNDRED AND FIFTY POINTS SEPARATES CORONA AND POLARIS. IT JUST GOES TO SHOW HOW AMAZING TESTROSSA REALLY IS – "

Professor Finnelan didn't even bother telling her off. She had thrown her hat on the floor and stomping it repeatedly, shouting furiously of how Diana was knocked out of the running.

"With three teams out of the race, all that remains is Fate Testarossa from Corona and Akko Kagari from Polaris!" yelled Wangari.

"No…it's just me," Fate said loud enough for only Akko to hear.

Akko looked up questionably at Fate when she heard a small _boom_ coming from the Shiny Balai's tail. She looked back and realized, with a horrible gasp, that one of the Stan-Units had been blown out; Akko dropped by several feet. The other two Stan-Units sparked with electricity before a double _boom_ caused the Shiny Balai to rattle. Akko felt a thrill of horror run up her spine; Fate knew this was going to happen. Without the support of the machines, Akko started floating slowly back to the Earth. Fate watched her momentarily before she turned around and glided away at a leisure pace….

This can't be happening, Akko thought to herself, as a fresh wave of despair washed over. After everything that had happened – losing Shooting Star, gaining Shiny Balai, all the painful training, humiliating defeats, and euphoric wins – this couldn't be how it ended. The ground was getting closer…once her feet touched, it would be game over…. All around, she could hear Polaris screaming, their voices mingled with unified hopelessness. Akko hanged her head, resigned to her fate…she was only a foot off the ground –

"AKKO!"

Her head perked up and looked around wildly. Ursula was standing from her seat, her voice somehow magically reaching her through the cacophony of a thousand voices.

"Akko, don't forget Shiny Chariot's words!" screamed Ursula. "A Believing Heart is your magic! We know you can do it, Akko! Everyone believes in you! Just believe in yourself!"

To anyone else, those words would just be empty encouragement. But something stirred in Akko's chest; it was a sensation that she experienced every time she saw Shiny Chariot perform on the internet, the feeling that, if you believed strong enough, anything was possible. Akko could feel her lips twitching upwards as the memories just seemed to flood her mind. Professor Ursula was right – she just needed to believe in herself!

Akko pulled her feet up and clamped them against the Shiny Balai just inches before they touched the ground. She closed her eyes, grunted in determination, and puffed out her cheeks with the same amount of concentration that she put into the Shiny Arc and Shiny Blade. She could feel something flowing through her veins – a seemingly endless flow of magical energy was coursing through her, exiting through her fingers and feet. And then, the words just spilled from her lips so naturally –

" _ **Tia Freyre**_!"

Akko was so glad that she had a tight grip on the Shiny Balai's neck, because the mystical broom suddenly shot up so fast that Akko was nearly thrown off. The wind was blowing hard against her cheeks and her hair was flailing uncontrollably behind her; Akko opened her eyes slowly and her heart skipped several beats. The ground was sliding out underneath her and the faces in the crowd were blurred. She was doing it – she was flying!

And it seemed like she wasn't the only person that was stunned by this new development. Over the crackling thunder, she could hear the crowd screaming and gasping as they pointed up at her when she passed by.

"Can this – are you – is this – " Wangari seemed to be at a loss for words. "This is unprecedented! Akko Kagari, who has built a reputation for being the only student who can't ride a broom, is actually flying! And she's quickly catching up to Testarossa! WATCH OUT, FATE!"

Fate turned around just as Akko was making her approach, looking dumbfounded to see her again, until Akko zipped past the blonde in the blink of an eye. The shockwave Akko created with her speed sent Fate flying sideways off the track. Though she was able to recover herself in midair, the familiar _click_ on the ground told Fate that she had dropped one of her rings.

"And Kagari sudden appearance has knocked Testarossa off course, losing one of her rings as a result!" screamed Wangari. "And at the speeds Kagari is going now, there's no time to go collecting any more points! It all comes down to this! Whoever crosses the finish line first wins the cup!"

Akko was coming out of the zone and into the final stretch; Amelia and rest of the Polaris team was waiting at the finishing line, screaming themselves hoarse. However, Akko could hear the telltales signs of Fate starting to catch up to her until they were now flying along side by side. The blonde gritted her teeth and pushed out another burst of magic –

"Go! Go! Go!" Akko urged her broom. She and Fate were fighting back and forth for the lead – Akko flattened herself to the broom handle as Fate made a final attempt to shoot her off – the finish line was coming up fast – they were at equal lengths –

Akko threw all caution to the wind, taking both hands off the Shiny Balai, throwing herself forward ahead of Fate and –

"IT'S OVER!" Wangari screamed. "AND AT THE VERY LAST MOMENT, WITH A DARING LEAP OF FAITH, THE WINNER IS…ATSUKO KAGARI!"

Rajani and Rashmi managed to catch Akko before she hit the ground; Avery jumped up and snatched the Shiny Balai out of the air. Feeling a pleasant sort of exhaustion take over, Akko mustered up her best smile and pumped her fist into the air to the roar the cheering crowd.

Rajani and Rashmi set Akko back on the ground, her legs feeling a little wobbly, and pulled into to a double hug, screaming in unbridled joy. Through their arms, Akko could see that Amelia had fallen to her knees, threw back her head, and was crying uncontrollable and without shame. She could hear Avery bouncing around behind them, screaming, " _We've won the Cup! We've won the Cup!_ "

Wave upon wave of crimson supports were pouring over the barriers onto the field. Hands were raining down on their backs. Akko had a confused impression of noise and bodies pressing in on her. Then, she and the rest of the team, were hoisted onto the shoulders of the crowd. Thrust into the light, she saw Ursula and Croix standing at the edge of the crowd, looking immensely proud. There was Diana, leaning against Hannah and Barbara for support, but managed a small smile and a silent congratulation. Fate was surrounded by her team, looking disappointed that she had lost, but smirked and gave Akko a thumbs-up. And there, fighting their way towards Akko, were Lotte, Sucy, Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka. Words failed them. They simply beamed as Akko was borne toward the stands, where Professor Holbrooke stood waiting with the enormous Chariot Cup.

If only there had been a Heartless around…. As a sobbing Amelia passed Akko the Cup, as she lifted it into the air, Akko felt she could have produced the world's most powerful Light spell.

* * *

 **Next Chapter: The Book of Dawn**


	16. The Book of Dawn

**Akko Kagari and the White Witch**

 **Chapter Sixteen: The Book of Dawn**

Akko's euphoria at winning the Chariot Cup on top of finally learning to fly lasted at least a week. Even the weather seemed to be celebrating; as June approached, the days became cloudless and sultry, and all Akko felt like doing was strolling onto the grounds and taking the Shiny Balai for several laps around the castle, perhaps flying up to the teacher's windows to give them a little spook or pestering the Arrancar from above before they started shooting at her.

But she couldn't; none of them could. Exams were nearly upon them, and instead of lazing around outside, the students were forced to remain inside the castle, trying to bully their brains into concentrating while enticing wafts of summer air drifted in through the windows. Even Rashmi and Rajani had been spotted working; they were about to take their S.T.A.R.s (Standard Testing and Aptitude Reviews). Amelia O'Neill was getting ready for her M.O.M.s (Mark of Mastery), the highest qualification Luna Nova had to offer. Everyone thought that with her obsession towards Chariot Racing, Amelia would have gone pro. But much to everyone's surprise, Amelia declared a desire to work in the Magic Council with mother, which meant she needed to get top grades. She was becoming increasingly on edge (no more than usual), and screamed at anyone who disturbed the quiet of the common room to the point of crying. In fact, the only person in Luna Nova who seemed more anxious than the fifth and seventh years was Diana.

Akko had given up asking her how she was managing to attend several classes at once, but she couldn't restrain herself when she saw the exam schedule she had drawn up for herself. The first column read:

 _Monday  
9 o'clock, Magic Numerology  
9 o'clock, Alchemy  
Lunch  
1 o'clock, Charms  
1 o'clock, Magic Philosophy_

"Diana?" Akko said cautiously, because she was liable to explode when interrupted these days. "Er – are you sure you've copied these times down right?"

"What?" snapped Diana, picking up the exam schedule and examining it. "Yes, of course I have."

"Is there any point in asking how you're going to sit for two exams at once?" said Barbara dryly.

"No," said Diana shortly. "Have any of you seen my copy of _Numerology and Gramatica_?"

"Oh, yeah, I borrowed it to help put me to sleep last night," said Jasminka, but very quietly. Diana started shifting heaps of paper around on the library table, looking for the book. Just then, there was a rustling behind the bookshelves and a paper crane fluttered through the books, swooping down on the table in front of Akko, and unfolding itself flat.

"It's from Professor Pisces," said Akko, leaning over the note. "Qing's appeal – it's set for the sixth."

"That's the day we finish our exams," said Diana, still looking everywhere for her Numerology book.

"And they're coming up here to do it," said Akko, still reading from the letter. "Someone from the Magic Council and – and an executioner."

Diana looked up, startled.

" _They're bringing the executioner to the appeal!_ " Stan-Bot shouted outrageously. " _But that sounds like they've already decided!_ "

"It must be my Aunt Daryl's doing," said Diana slowly.

"They can't!" Lotte howled. "We've spent _ages_ reading up on stuff for him; they can't just ignore it all!"

But Akko remembered Wendy saying how the Department of Magical Wildlife rarely passed fair judgment on abnormal creatures regardless if they were innocent or not. Akko hardly had a chance to see either Wendy or Professor Pisces outside of lessons over the next few days, because the strict new security measures had not been lifted, and Akko didn't dare retrieve the Ring of Gyges from below the one-eyed witch, not knowing if Ursula was watching her through the Shiny Guide Book or not.

* * *

Exam week began and an unnatural hush fell over the castle. The third years emerged from Alchemy at lunchtime on Monday, limp and ashen-faced, comparing results and bemoaning the difficulty of the tasks they had set, which had included turning a teapot into a tortoise. Diana irritated the rest by fussing about how her tortoise had looked more like a turtle, which was the least of everyone else's worries.

"Mine still had a spout for a tail, what a nightmare…."

"Were the tortoises _supposed_ to breathe steam?"

"It still had a flower-patterned shell, d'you think that'll count against me?"

Then, after a hasty lunch, it was straight back upstairs for the Charms exam. Diana had been right; Professor Akane did indeed test them on Emotional Charms. Akko slightly overdid hers out of nerves and Amanda, who was partnering her, ended up in a fit of loud, wet sobbing and had to be led away to a quiet room for an hour before she was ready to perform the charm herself. After dinner, the students hurried back to their common rooms, not to relax, but to start studying for Study of Abnormal Creatures, Magic Pharmaceutics, and Magic Astronomy.

If Professor Pisces was feeling any concern over the upcoming appeal, she did well in hiding it; she presided over the exam the following morning with an air of indifference. She brought the class back the paddocks where the Qilin from their first lesson were waiting, and told them that in order to pass the test, they needed to groom the Qilin without upsetting it. Diana had been given a free pass from the exam, possibly owing to her past mistake, and she could be see sitting on the fence, a look of forlorn on her face. The exam wasn't particularly difficult and it provided Akko with an opportunity to speak to Professor Pisces.

"Qing is relatively calm, as expected from a Qilin," Professor Pisces told her, bending low on the pretense of examining Akko's attempt to scrub the bronze Qilin's dirt-covered scales. "They openly accept their fates, regardless of what it may be. It's Miss Cavendish I am concerned with."

"Diana?" Akko asked, confused.

"She's been coming around a lot ever since they announced the appeal," said Professor Pisces. "Trying to help make Qing comfortable – I suppose she feels guilty in some way – "

They had Magic Pharmaceutics that afternoon, which was an unqualified disaster. Try as Akko might, she couldn't get her Confusion Concoction to thicken, and Professor Hex leered at her with a deep frown and scribbled something that looked suspiciously like a zero onto his notes before moving away. The only bright spot of the whole exam was when Professor Hex went to test Sucy's potion, being his favorite student, and ended up in the hospital wing with a bad case of explosive diarrhea.

Then came Magic Astronomy at midnight with Ursula, up on the tallest tower. Where Akko generally flopped at the more practical portions of magic, she excelled at the literary subjects. She identified the assigned constellations, labeled their positions in accordance to the chart, and for bonus points, marked down the locations of the planets and how their alignment affected gravitational and magical energies on Earth. History of Magic was on Wednesday morning, in which Akko once again soared through the test with general ease, having already taken classes in the advance course and scribbled down everything she remembered about eighteenth century witches, including a bonus essay on the Coffin Princess Chaika. Wednesday afternoon sadly meant Herbalism in the greenhouses under a baking-hot sun where they had to trim hungry grass, which made anyone who touched it ravenously starved to the point where Jasminka almost bit Constanze's hand off.

Their second to last exam, on Thursday morning, was White Magic. Master Noah had complied the most unusual exam any of them had ever taken; a sort of obstacle course outside in the sun, where they had to use restoration magic to fix a compass that guided them through a patch of marsh, purify cursed totems that blocked the path, perform healing magic on a group of fairies that would carry them out of the marsh to face the final obstacle where they would face a new Bogeyman in another closet.

"Not, bad, not bad," Master Noah muttered as Akko climbed out of the closet, panting from exhaustion. "You've earned full points for the Bogeyman and compass, but you're spells with the totem only seemed to make the curses worse and you actually injured several fairies more with your healing spell. Honestly, I'm astonished – and not in a good way."

Head hanging in defeat, Akko stuck around to watch her friends take their runs. As expected, Diana performed the course perfectly with Wendy right alongside her. Lotte, Hannah, and Barbara finished with good marks, but Constanze had points deducted for using GPS instead of fixing the compass, Jasminka ended up getting stuck in the marsh, Amanda got into a fist fight after arguing with the fairies, and Sucy did everything perfectly until she reached the Bogeyman in the closest. She had gone in ten minutes ago and a line of students was starting to form, waiting for their turn.

"What on Earth could be taking her so long?" said Master Noah, opening the closet.

Sucy fell out, stiff as a board, completely devoid of color – literally, everything from her skin, her hair, to even her clothes were completely white. Inside the dark closet, Akko swore she heard something that sounded like hissing; it didn't take much to figure out what happened.

It was a little while before Sucy got her color back. When at last she had regained a grip on herself, their usual party of nine went back to the castle. Hannah and Barbara were still inclined to laugh at Sucy, but they were spared from any poisons she might have up her sleeve when they caught sight of someone standing on the top of the steps.

Crawford Seam, sweating lightly in his fat robes and cloak, was standing there staring out at the grounds. She started at the sight of Akko's group.

"Oh, hello there, children!" he said. "Ah, Amanda, I was wondering if I would be seeing you here; your mother told me you attended this school! Just had exams, I expect? Nearly finished?"

"Yes, Mr. Chairman," said Amanda with unusual politeness. Akko, Lotte, and Sucy wisely chose not to say anything. They had encountered the Chairman of the Magic Council twice in the past, but both times they had been hidden from sight. As far as Crawford knew, they were complete strangers.

"Lovely day," said Crawford, casting an eye over the grounds. "Pity…pity…"

"Is…something wrong, Mr. Chairman?" asked Amanda.

"I'm here on an unpleasant mission, Amanda. The Department of Magical Wildlife required a witness to the execution of a dangerous Qilin. As I needed to visit Luna Nova to check on the Izetta situation, I asked to step in."

" _But does that mean the appeal's already happened_?" Stan-Bot interrupted as Constanze stepped forward.

"No, no, it's scheduled for this afternoon," said Crawford, looking curiously at Constanze.

" _Then you might not have to witness an execution at all!_ " said Stan-Bot stoutly, waving its tiny fist. " _The Qilin might get off!_ "

Before Crawford could answer, two men came through the castle doors behind him. One was so ancient he appeared to be withering before their very eyes; the other was massive and hulk-like, wearing a giant contraption on his head that looked like a rusted pyramid. Akko gathered that they were representatives of the Department of Magical Creatures, because the very old man squinted in the direction of the paddocks and said in a feeble voice, "Dear, dear, I'm getting too old for this…. Two o'clock, isn't it, Chairman?"

The Pyramid Head person was fingering something being dragged behind him; Akko looked around and saw that he was running one broad thumb across a gigantic knife. Stan-Bot started to raise its fist and say something, but Amanda suddenly shot her smacked the tiny robot to the ground while Crawford had his back turned.

"What'd you do that for?" said Akko angrily to Amanda as they entered the Dining Hall for lunch. "Did you see them? They've even got the execution weapon ready! This isn't justice!"

"I'm as angry as you, Akko, but my mom works for the Magic Council and we can't just go mouthing off to her boss!" said Amanda, but she too looked very upset.

"That's unusually thoughtful of you," said Diana. "But O'Neill is correct; starting an argument with the Chairman of the Magic Council isn't going to help things. My Aunt Daryl has probably already decided how the appeal will go for them anyway…. There's nothing we can do for them…."

But Akko could tell that Diana was just as anxious as the rest of them. All around the Dining Hall, people were talking excitedly as they ate their lunch, happily anticipating the end of the exams that afternoon, but the Nine Little Witches, lost in worry about Professor Pisces and Qing, didn't join in.

Akko and Jasminka's last exam was Foretelling; Diana and Constanze had Modern Magic, Lotte, Hannah, and Barbara had Magic Linguistics, and Akko didn't know where Sucy and Amanda went off to. They separated on the first floor, Akko and Jasminka walking together up the spiraling staircase to the seventh floor to the western observatory, where many of their classmates were sitting on the stairs to Ursula's classroom, trying to cram in a bit of last-minute studying.

"She's seeing us all separately," Nanoha informed them as they went to sit down next to her. She had her copy of _Finding the Future_ open on her lap at the pages devoted to crystal gazing. "Have either of you ever seen _anything_ in a crystal ball?" she asked them unhappily. "I know Makoto, Chloe, and Sarah have…."

"Just once, but I never saw anything after that," said Akko. The memory of that one gaze still lingered in the back of Akko's mind after all this time. Even though Ursula repeatedly told them that predictions didn't always come true, seeing her own defeat at the hands of some unknown woman seemed too real to ignore.

The line of people outside the classroom shortened very slowly. As each person climbed down the ladder, the rest of the class hissed, "What did she ask? Was it okay?"

But they all refused to say.

"She says that if I give you any hints, she'll mark it down on my final grade," said Chloe Dubois from Twilight as she clambered back down the ladder towards Nanoha, Akko, and Jasminka, who had now reached the landing.

"Well, I suppose that makes sense," said Nanoha, nodding appreciatively. "Definitely a good way to keep people from sharing secrets and keep them from cheating off one another."

"Yeah," said Akko distractedly; her thoughts were focused on Qing's appeal, which should be happening about now.

Nanoha's turn came and went after fifteen minutes in which she climbed down the ladder with a look of utter defeat.

"So, how'd it go?" Jasminka asked her, somehow incapable of reading the mood.

"It was terrible," Nanoha groaned. "I couldn't see a thing, so I made some stuff up. I don't think she bought it, though…."

She hurried off down the staircase to meet Fate Testarossa and Hayate Yagami, who were waiting at the bottom.

"Jasminka Antonenko," called Ursula's voice from over their heads. Jasminka frowned at Akko and climbed the ladder out of sight. Akko was now the only person left to be tested. She settled herself on the floor with her back against the wall, listening to a fly buzzing in the sunny window, her mind across the grounds with Professor Pisces.

Finally, after about twenty minutes, Jasminka's feet appeared on the ladder.

"Did you have any better luck?" Akko asked her, standing up.

"No," moaned Jasminka. "And I really tried, too, but then I started remembering that raspberry shortcake from last night and then I just predicted what they were going to serve for dinner tonight. I don't think Professor Ursula is going to grade me well."

"We'll talk about it later," Akko muttered as Ursula's voice called, "Atsuko Kagari!"

Akko stumbled her way through the cluttered mess of small tables and fat beanbag chairs to where Ursula sat waiting for her before a large crystal ball.

"Good afternoon, Miss Kagari," she said softly. "If you would please gaze into the crystal ball…. Take your time, now…clear your mind of any distractions…then tell me what you see…."

Akko bent over the crystal ball and stared, stared as hard as she could, willing it to show her something other than the swirling fog like last time. She tried to remember Ursula's lesson…push away all other thoughts and focus her attention solely on the ball…. And just like before, she saw something that wasn't there before: dark shapes forming in the void of white.

"Well," Ursula prompted delicately. "What do you see?"

"I see…a creature," said Akko slowly. "Some kind of horse…but it has antlers…and wavy things on it – oh, it's a Qilin."

"Is that right?" whispered Ursula, scribbling something on the notepad perched upon her knees. "Are you perhaps seeing the outcome of the appeal for Professor Pisces's Qilin. Do you see Professor Pisces? Or perhaps the Chairman of the Magic Council?"

"No, I just see the – oh, wait, there's something else," said Akko, leaning closer to the ball. "I see…two people…but I don't think they're Professor Pisces or the Chairman. They look like…girls. They're standing there…looking at the Qilin…and now they're walking off to the left."

"So they just walked away?" Ursula urged her. "Anything else happening?"

"I…I think there's someone else…," Akko continued, struggling not to blink. "It's…it's the same girls. They're coming back from the opposite side. Now…now they're getting on the Qilin and…they're flying away…."

"Interesting…," Ursula hummed, jotting down a note on her pad. "So the same two girls that left in one direction came back from another and released the Qilin? Is that what you saw?"

"Yes?" said Akko with a hint of uncertainty.

"Well, this has certainly been an interesting experience, I'm sure," said Ursula. "I think we'll leave it there…. You're grade will be posted a week from now."

Feeling exhausted, Akko got up, picked up her bag, and turned to go. But, as one should expect from Akko, her bag hit the crystal ball and knocked it off the table, sending it flying fast into one of the many shelves around the room. There was a great _crash_ and the contents of the shelf spilled all over the floor; feathers, tarot cards, and numerous books were scattered in every direction while sets of teacups smashed to pieces.

Akko stood in her spot, petrified.

"Oh dear," said Ursula with an exasperated sigh.

"I'm so, so, so, so, so sorry!" Akko cried. "I didn't mean to, I swear!"

"Just…please help clean this mess up," said Ursula, shaking her head. "Don't go near the shards – I don't want you cutting yourself."

Riddled with guilt, Akko got down on her knees and started picking up the tarot cards on one side, shuffling them back into a deck, while Ursula used her wand to summon a pan and broom to clean up the smashed tea set. As she started putting the books back on the shelf, she paused for a moment when she picked up a musty, tattered book that looked largely out of place next to the new and pristine volumes next to it. Akko flipped the book over to look at its cover and her heart skipped a beat when she read the faded gold letters: _Aradia Series Vol. 1 – The Book of Dawn_

Her mind flew back several months ago to Croix's office when the Modern Magic teacher talked about this very book. It had been the first novel written by the Great Witch Jennifer and was the drive behind Chariot's secret organization in preparation for the Star-Born Child's – Akko's – birth. But Croix had said the book was burned. Had she been lying, or was she unaware that Ursula had it?

Akko peeked over her shoulder. Ursula's back was turned to her, busying herself with the broken bits of dishware. She knew that Ursula wouldn't approve, but Akko just had to know what was inside. She flipped the book around and opened it to the final page, and read:

 _The Dawn of the New Age approaches soon.  
A child born from two worlds, on the day of the summer solstice  
Under the weak light of the final dusk, hope shall be born  
But darkness lies in waiting, a danger hidden behind two faces  
Friend and Foe alike, caught in a whirlwind of carnage and deception.  
Under the gentle light of the first star, hope shall die.  
Darkness threatens to engulf light, the seven stars begin to dim.  
Salvation comes not without sacrifice, one life must be given for another.  
Under the soft light of the new dawn, hope shall be reborn.  
And with hope's first cry, the New Age shall begin._

Akko's mind was reeling. This was it – this passage described the moment when she was born, but she couldn't understand what any of it meant. A child of two worlds…a danger hidden behind two faces…salvation comes not without sacrifice…. Before Akko could think too deeply on the matter, Ursula's voice snapped her out of her stupor.

"Akko, are you all right?" she asked in concern. "You've been down there for a while now. Did you cut yourself on something?"

"Oh, uh, no, no," said Akko quickly, shoving the book back on the shelf. "I was just uh…thinking about Professor Pisces's appeal. You know, wondering how it's going."

"Hmm… yes, I suppose you would be," said Ursula. "Well, I think I should be able to clean up the rest from here. Why don't you head on back to the common room? I'm sure your friends will have some news to share on that."

Akko climbed back down the ladder and the staircase, wondering…. Had Ursula had the Book of Dawn this entire time? If so, why has she never told Akko about it? Hasn't she gone through enough to have earned that much?

Five minutes later she was dashing past the security orcs outside the entrance to Polaris Tower, the Book of Dawn still fresh in her mind. People were striding past in the opposite direction, laughing and joking, heading for the grounds and a bit of long-awaited freedom; by the time she had reached the archway and entered the common room, it was almost deserted. Over in the corner, however, sat Lotte and Sucy.

"Professor Ursula," Akko panted, "I just saw – "

But she stopped abruptly at the sight of their faces.

"The Qilin lost," said Sucy monotonously. "Professor Pisces sent you a letter."

The last letter she had gotten from Professor Pisces, it had seemed like the goldfish turned human hadn't been as affected by the outcome of the trail, yet her hand seemed to have shaken so much as she wrote that it was hardly legible.

 _ **Lost the Appeal. They are going to execute at sunset  
There is nothing you can do. Don't come down. I don't  
want you to see it.**_

"We've gotta go," said Akko at once. "She can't just sit there on her own, waiting for the execution!"

"Sunset, though," said Lotte, who was staring out the window in a glazed sort of way. "We'd never be allowed…especially you, Akko…."

Akko sank her head into her hands, thinking.

"If we only had my ring…."

"Where is it?" said Sucy.

Akko told her about leaving it on a rock in the passageway under the one-eyed witch.

"…if Professor Finnelan sees me anywhere near there again, I'm in serious trouble," she finished.

"Yeah, you'll probably get expelled for sure," said Sucy, getting to her feet. "But only if she sees _you…._ How do you get inside the statue?"

"You – you tap it and say, ' _Patentibus_ '" said Akko. "But – "

Sucy didn't wait for the rest of her sentence; she strode across the room, pushed open the archway and vanished from sight.

"She didn't go to get it, did she?" Lotte said, staring after her.

She had. Sucy returned a quarter of an hour later with the Ring of Gyges tucked in her pocket.

"Sucy, I can't believe you actually did it!" said Akko happily. "You really do care about me – "

"A depressed Akko is even more annoying than a happy Akko," said Sucy bluntly. "Poisoning you isn't nearly as fun if you don't put up a struggle."

Yeah, that sounded about right, Akko thought.

* * *

They went down to dinner with everyone else, but did not return to Polaris Tower afterward. Akko kept her hand lodged on her pocket, fingering the Ring of Gyges. They skulked in an empty chamber off the entrance hall, listening, until they were sure it was deserted. They heard a last pair of people hurrying across the hall and a door slamming. Lotte poked her head around the door.

"Okay," she whispered, "no one there – ring on – "

They had to walk hand-in-hand since the Ring's area of effect only worked with those who maintain direct contact with the wearer. They crossed the hall on tiptoe, then walked down the stone front steps into the grounds. The sun was already sinking behind the Arcturus Forest, gliding the top branches of the trees.

They reached the paddock where Processor Pisces was standing outside the fenced in area, but she wasn't the only person present. Akko wasn't surprised that Wendy had managed to find a way to slip out of the castle to visit Qing in his final moments. Wendy's sharp senses must have heard the leaves crunching underneath their feet, because as Akko, Lotte, and Sucy made their approach, she suddenly swung around with her arms up defensively, staring at the spot where they were.

"Whoa, whoa, it's just us!" said Akko quickly, slipping off the Ring of Gyges to make themselves visible again. "See?"

"You shouldn't have come," said Professor Pisces, her hands folded together tightly. "Then again, I had very little doubt that you would show up eventually, after Miss Marvell and Miss Cavendish arrived."

"Diana's here?" asked Lotte curiously.

Wendy gestured her thumb over her shoulder and guided them to the fence. Indeed, Diana was sitting on the damp forest ground, staring at Qing who was only feet away from her, their eyes locked as if in the middle of a staring contest. Akko could sense the misery washing over Diana in waves just by looking at her; her eyes seemed dull and lifeless.

"She's been in there for over an hour," said Wendy. "She must have heard about the appeal from her aunt, because we met up at the same time right as we were leaving the school – used a bit of magic to make sure no one saw us crossing the grounds. I wanted to say my good byes before…."

Wendy's hands were trembling violently that the fence rattled and threatened to break underneath her abnormally strong fingers.

"Miss Cavendish hasn't moved since she arrived," said Professor Pisces. "She feels guilty for what happened."

"Well, she should," said Sucy bluntly. "It's her fault this happened in the first place."

"SUCY!" Lotte hissed.

"What? I'm just telling it like it is," said Sucy.

"Isn't there anything anyone can do?" Akko asked fiercely. "Professor Holbrooke – "

"She has tried," said Professor Pisces. "She has no power to overrule the Department of Magical Wildlife. She told them that Qing is a kind and gentle creature, but they are afraid…. Daryl Cavendish is a vicious and determined woman…It wouldn't be too far to imagine that she threatened them with her family's influence…but it shall be quick and clean…the executioner does not like to drag things out…."

Professor Pisces took a deep breath. Her eyes were darting around the paddock as though looking for some shred of hope or comfort.

"Professor Holbrooke promised she would be here while it happens. She told me so this morning. Said she wants to be with me. Miranda has always been such a kind woman…."

"We'll stay with you too, Professor," Wendy began, but Professor Pisces shook her head.

"You need to go back up to the castle. I told you, I don't want any of you watching. And you shouldn't be down here in the first place…. If the Chairman and Headmistress catch you without permission – If Professor Ursula finds out about this – then you will be expelled, Miss Kagari."

The threat of expulsion didn't seem nearly as important now that Akko knew they were only moments away from Qing's execution. She looked back toward Diana, who still hadn't moved since they arrived, but staring at the Qilin with a look of hopelessness.

Without even thinking about it, Akko hopped over the fence and walked slowly over to Diana until she was beside her and sat down, saying nothing as she too stared at the Qilin. The two of them just sat there for what felt like hours, never looking at each other or speaking up; in all honesty, Akko didn't know if she could say anything without putting her foot in her mouth again.

"It's my fault, you know…," Diana spoke up suddenly. "I heard what Manbavaran said and she's right; I did start all this."

"I'm sure you didn't mean it…," said Akko softly.

"I was just so…jealous of Marvell," Diana admitted in a strained voice. "For two years, I was recognized as the best student in Luna Nova, better than even many of the seventh years. The teachers always praised me…and I loved every moment of it. And then…this transfer student just shows up completely out of nowhere and not only does she excel in every class, but she's _better_ than me. All of a sudden…it's like I suddenly wasn't good enough anymore…like I wasn't special."

"You are special, Diana," said Akko. "I mean, sure, Wendy can do a lot of things better than you, but you can also do things that she can't. Wendy can't fly a broom like you, or cast summon spells, and she doesn't even know how to use a metamorphosis spell."

"I know that now," said Diana. "But back then, I was just so…frustrated at not being the best anymore. I had built my entire life around being the perfect witch – that's why I started taking all those extra classes – and she brings it all crashing down in one fell swoop. I know she didn't mean to, but that's how I felt. And in my personal failure, I antagonized this poor creature" – she gestured her head to Qing – "and it rightfully attacked me. Then everything spiraled out of control, and now it's going to die for my ignorance. So much for being perfect…."

"I never thought you were perfect," said Akko.

"Gee, thanks," said Diana with a blank look.

"No, no, that's not what I meant!" Akko sputtered, flailing her arms. "I meant…it's nice that you're not perfect. Perfect Diana always seemed so…cold and unapproachable. Not-Perfect-Diana makes mistakes like anyone else, but she's also nice and generous and helpful and really competitive on the track. I love Not-Perfect-Diana way more than Perfect Diana."

"That…was a very poor speech in all honestly," said Diana bluntly; Akko made a hurtful noise. "It doesn't change the fact that I sentenced this Qilin to death…but I appreciate knowing that I am loved nonetheless."

Akko's words finally caught up with her…and her face felt uncomfortably hot. In trying to make Diana feel better, Akko had unconsciously told Diana she lo…lo…. Oh, she couldn't even say it in her head! Akko had a sudden desire to explode on the spot. Luckily, she was saved from committing any rash actions when Professor Pisces waved them down from the other side of the fence, her face having gone the color of paper.

"They're coming!"

Akko and Diana stood up and whipped around. A group of people was walking down the distance castle steps. In front was Professor Holbrooke trotting alongside Crawford Seam, who looked slightly winded from the strenuous walk. Behind them came the feeble old wizard and the Pyramid Head executioner.

"You have to go," said Professor Pisces, the grip on her hands tightening so hard they could hear her knuckles pop. "They must not find you here…. Go now…"

Akko and Diana rushed over and hopped the fence while Akko fumbled around her pocket for the Ring.

"That's not going to cover all of you," said Professor Pisces. "Go around the trees behind them."

They shuffled for cover through the towering oaks and scurried around the paddock out of sight. Akko felt strangely unreal, and even more so when she saw Qing watching them from his tether in the middle. He seemed to know something was happening. He turned his head from side to side and pawed the ground nervously.

"It's okay, Qing," said Professor Pisces softly. "It's okay…" She turned to them. "Go on. Get going."

But they didn't move.

"Professor, we can't – "

"We'll tell them what really happened – "

"They can't kill him – "

"Go!" said Professor Pisces fiercely. "It is bad enough without you children getting in trouble, especially you, Miss Kagari."

They had no choice. As Sucy snatched the Ring, slipped it on her own finger, and grabbed Lotte and Akko's hands, they heard voices at the front of the paddock. Professor Pisces looked at the place where they had just vanished from sight and turned to Diana and Wendy, still plainly visible.

"You two – "

"Don't worry, Professor," said Diana. "I'll make an excuse if we get caught, but Akko and the others cannot afford to be seen."

"Fine, just go quickly," Professor Pisces said hoarsely. "Don't listen…."

And she strode over around the paddock as Crawford Seam called out for her.

Slowly, in a kind of horrified trance, Akko, Lotte, and Sucy set off silently behind Diana and Wendy as they traipsed around the outer edge of the Arcturus Forest. As they reached the grounds out of sight from the paddock, they heard Qing howling from afar.

"Please, let's hurry," Diana whispered. "I can't stand it, I can't bear it…."

They started up the sloping lawn toward the castle. The sun was sinking fast now; the sky had turned to a clear, purple-tinged grey, but to the west there was a ruby-red glow.

They heard the rattling of the paddock door echoing across the quiet grounds and men's voices shouting.

"Oh, please, let's move, they're about to do it!" Wendy breathed.

They walked forward; Akko, like Diana, was trying not to listen to the rumble of voices drifting from the paddock. There was a jumble of indistinct voices, a silence, and then, without warning, the unmistakable swish and thud of a very heavy cleaver.

Wendy swayed on the spot.

"They did it!" she whispered to the air. "I d – don't believe it – they did it!"

* * *

 **Next chapter: The Trickster**


	17. The Trickster

**Akko Kagari and the White Witch**

 **Chapter Seventeen: The Trickster**

Akko's mind had gone blank with shock. The five of them stood transfixed with horror, three of them under the cover of the Ring of Gyges. The very last rays of the setting sun were casting a bloody light over the long-shadowed grounds. Then, from beyond them, they heard a loud cry.

"Professor Pisces," Wendy muttered. She started to turn back, but Sucy's invisible hand seized her by the arm.

"We can't," said Sucy in her usual monotonous tone. "She'll be in worse trouble if they know we've been to see her…."

Diana's breathing was shallow and uneven.

"It's – all – my – fault," she choked. "Why? Why did this have to happen?"

"Come on," said Lotte, whose teeth seemed to be chattering.

They set off back toward the castle, walking slowly with little energy. The light was fading fast now. By the time they reached the fountain of the Great Witch Jennifer, darkness was settling like a spell around them.

"Let me go inside first," said Diana. "If there are any patrols wandering the halls, I will be the least likely to get into any trouble."

But just when Diana started walking toward the stone steps, the massive mahogany doors slowly edged open with a loud _creak_. Everyone stood perfectly still as something slinked through the gap toward them, its body low to the ground, wide golden eyes glinting in the darkness – it was Mikko. The large red fox stopped in the middle of the steps, first looking at Diana and Wendy, then slowly turning its pointed nose toward the spot where Akko, Lotte, and Sucy were hidden. It wasn't the first time that Akko wondered if animals could see through the Ring's magic – she knew Blair, at least, had no trouble finding her.

"Mikko!" Lotte moaned. "No, go away, Mikko! Go away!"

The fox crept closer toward them –

"Mikko, please go – NO!"

Mikko jumped up without warning, tackling Sucy's chest and knocking Akko and Lotte out from under the Ring's area of effect. There was a loud gasp from Sucy as Mikko looked like he was floating on top of her invisible chest. With a savage growl, Mikko suddenly bit down on the air; a small splatter of blood sprayed on the ground. The red fox twisted its head and Sucy suddenly appeared, clutching her bleeding hand; a soft _clinking_ rang out as the Ring of Gyges was thrown across the courtyard.

"Mikko, _stop!_ " Lotte shrieked.

But the red fox wasn't finished; it immediately spun around on Sucy's chest and kicked off. He was flying in Akko's direction, his jaw opened wide and exposing his sharp, partially bloodstained teeth. However, Wendy suddenly shoved Akko out of the way and threw up her arm just as Mikko clamped down on it. She dropped to her knees as Mikko pulled her down and, before Akko or Diana could stop him, suddenly started dragging Wendy across the ground by the arm with overwhelming strength.

" _Wendy!_ " Diana screamed.

She and Akko didn't even stop to think about it; they followed after them at a sprint. They could hear Wendy's body being dragged across the grass and her shouts at Mikko.

"Get off of me – get off – If you don't – _**Sky Dragon Roar!**_ "

A sudden gale of wind nearly blew Akko and Diana off their feet; they heard Mikko yelp from afar.

" _Thank Grandeeney!_ Ouch, this really hurts – "

Akko and Diana almost fell over Wendy; they skidded to a stop right in front of her. She was sprawled on the ground, but she was holding her arm with a faint green glow; the bites marks in her skin faded away in an instant.

"Wendy – come on – back up to the castle – " Diana panted. "Professor Holbrooke – the Chairman - they'll be coming back up in a minute- "

But before they could stand up again, before they could even catch their breath, they heard the low rumbling of an animal's growl…. Mikko was bounding toward them, a menacing red aura surrounded him that seemed almost supernatural.

Akko reached for the Shiny Rod, but too late – Mikko had made an enormous leap and the front paws hit her on the chest; she keeled over backward in a whirl of hair; the Shiny Rod flying out of her hands; she felt his hot breath, saw jagged teeth –

But the force of Mikko's leap had carried him too far; he rolled off her. Dazed, feeling as though her ribs were broken, Akko tried to stand up; she could hear Mikko's growling as he skidded around for a new attack.

As Mikko sprang back toward them, Wendy suddenly appeared between them, picking up the Shiny Rod, and took a wide swing at the red fox. Mikko deftly ducked underneath the swing; his jaws fastened instead around Wendy's outstretched arm. Akko lunged forward, she seized a handful of Mikko's fur, but he was dragging Wendy away as easily as though she were a rag doll –

Then, out of nowhere, something hit Akko so hard across the face and she was knocked off her feet again. She heard Diana shriek with pain and fall too.

Akko groped for her wand, blinking blood out of her eyes –

" _Lumen cordis!_ " she whispered.

The wand exploded with a blast of light that showed her the stem of a massive, thorny plant; they had chased Mikko into the shadow of Gora-Chan the Mandrake and its tendrils were whipping backward and forward to stop them from getting closer.

And there, at the base of the stem, was Mikko, dragging Wendy backward into a large gap in the roots – Wendy was fighting furiously, but her head and torso were slipping out of sight –

"Wendy!" Diana shouted, trying to follow, but a thick vine lashed lethally through the air and she was forced backward again, her hat falling on the ground in two pieces.

All they could see now was Wendy's hand firmly gripped on the Shiny Rod, which she was using as an anchor buried in the root in an effort to stop Mikko from pulling her farther underground – but a horrible crack cut the air like a gunshot; Wendy's arm had broken, her grip on the Shiny Rod lost, and a moment later, her hand vanished from sight.

"Diana – we've gotta get help – " Akko gasped; she was bleeding profusely; the Mandrake had cut her across the shoulder.

"No! You saw what that thing did – it bowled over us like we were nothing! We can't leave Wendy alone with that – "

"Diana – we're never going to get through without help – "

Another vine whipped down between them, leaving a clean cut in the ground.

"If that fox can get in, we can," Diana panted, darting here and there, trying to find a way through the vicious swinging tendrils, but she couldn't get an inch closer to the plant stem without being in range of the Mandrake's blows.

"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!" Akko yelled frantically, dancing around the swinging vines. "Someone do something!"

All of a sudden, as though the Mandrake had been turned to marble, it stopped moving. Not a leaf twitched or shook.

Akko leaned forward, propping herself on her knees, as she tried to catch her breath with Diana. They heard a pair of footsteps approaching and turned around as Lotte and Sucy came over the hill; the latter's hand was covered in a bloodstained cloth with her wand glowing in the other.

"What did I tell you about messing with Gora-Chan," said Sucy drearily, waving her wand around in the air. The Mandrake's flower closed and its vines wrapped securely around its stem. "He's very cranky when he's woken up from his nap."

"How – did you know – what to do?" Diana wheezed, holding a stitch in her side.

"I'm the one that planted him, remember," said Sucy casually. "Hmm…looks like they went under that trap door. Professor Cosmos let me plant Gora-Chan here because she wanted it covered. I wonder where it leads."

They covered the distance to the stem in seconds. Akko picked up the Shiny Rod and tucked it securely in her belt before leaning close to the gap underneath. It was dark and musty, not unlike the passageway to Ama Usa An. Steeling herself, Akko went in first; she crawled forward, headfirst, and slid down an earthy slope to the bottom of a very low tunnel. It was too dark to see anything; she wasn't going to risk another lumen blast again. Luckily, she didn't have to – Diana slid down immediately afterwards and lit up the passageway with a quick spell just as Lotte and Sucy came down.

"Where's Wendy?" Lotte whispered in a terrified voice.

"This way," said Akko, setting off, bent-backed, down the tunnel.

"Where does this passageway come out?" Diana asked breathlessly behind her.

"I don't know…. It's marked on the Shiny Guide Book but Amanda said no one's gotten into it…. It goes off the edge off the Book, but it looked like it was heading for Blytonbury…."

They moved as fast as they could, bent almost double. On and on went the passage; it felt at least as long as the one to Ama Usa An…. All Akko could think of was Wendy and what Mikko might be doing to her…. She was drawing breath in sharp, painful gasps, running at a crouch….

And then the tunnel opened up to a small cavern where a Lay Line portal was nestled in the back corner. Akko, Diana, Lotte, and Sucy paused, gasping for breath, edging forward. They all raised their wands and stepped forward into the light to see what lay beyond.

They landed in a room, a very immaculate and perfectly preserved room. The entire place looked like it had been carved out of a tree; the walls had been smoothed down, leaving intricate natural patterns; the floor looked more like a stump with well over a thousand rings in it; every piece of furniture looked like it had been carved over of the same wood that the room was built from. There were windows and a door, but when Sucy tried to open them, they wouldn't budge.

Akko stepped in the middle of the room, staring around. The place was mostly deserted, but there was a light coming from the top of the spiraling staircase, leading to the second level of the house. Lotte suddenly grabbed Akko's arm. Her wide eyes were traveling around the windows and the walls.

"Akko," she whispered, "I think we're in the Tree of Woodward!"

"How is that possible?" muttered Diana, looking around wildly. "This place is magically sealed off from the outside world!"

"Apparently, Chariot didn't seem to think so if she wrote it down in her book," said Sucy.

At that moment, there was a creak overhead. Something had moved upstairs. All of them looked up at the ceiling. Lotte's grip on Akko's arm was so tight she was losing feeling in her fingers. She bit her lip and grimaced at her; Lotte nodded embarrassingly and let go.

Quietly as they could, they crept up the spiraling staircase. The floorboards let out a horribly loud creak more than once; they paused and listened, but they heard nothing coming from above.

They reached the next floor; Diana extinguished the light of her wand quietly. As they crept around the railings, they heard movement from across the room; a low moan, and then a deep, loud growling. They exchanged final looks.

Wand held tightly before her, Akko leapt up the final steps and into the open.

On a magnificent mahogany bed with satin-green hangings lay Wendy, her hand radiating with magical energy over her limp arm, which was stretched out at a strange angle.

Akko, Diana, and Lotte dashed across to her; Sucy hung back, searching around for something.

"Wendy – are you okay?"

"Where's Mikko?"

"Not Mikko," Wendy moaned. Her teeth were gritted with pain. "Akko, it's a trap – "

"What – "

" _She's Mikko…she used the metamorphosis spell…._ "

Wendy was staring over Akko's shoulder as a sharp cry and a clatter on wood sounded from across the room. Akko wheeled around. Sucy seemed to be hovering in the air, her wand fallen on the floor, until the woman stepped out of the shadows, holding the younger girl by the nape.

Short hair the color of blood, matted against her face, and blood-red eyes that seemed to glint in the darkness. A deep frown curved her mouth as she looked over the children. It was Izetta Du Nord.

Akko, Diana, and Lotte leveled their wands, but a mysterious red glow surrounded Izetta and they were suddenly shot out of their hands, high into the air, and Izetta caught them. She dropped Sucy on the ground, who crawled over to join them, and then picked her wand up off the ground. She took a step closer. Her eyes were fixed on Akko.

"I thought you'd come and help your friend," she said hoarsely. Her voice sounded as though she hadn't used it in a long time. "Your mother would have done the same thing. It was really brave of you, not to run for a teacher. I'm grateful…it will make everything much easier…."

The taunt about her mother rang in Akko's ears as though Izetta had bellowed it. A boiling hate erupted in Akko's chest, leaving no place for fear. For the first time in her life, she wanted to use magic, not to perform tricks to make people smile, but to attack…to kill. Without knowing what she was doing, she started forward, but there was a sudden movement on either side of her and two pairs of hands grabbed her and held her back…. "No, Akko!" Lotte gasped in a petrified whisper; Diana, however, spoke to Izetta.

"If you want to get to Akko, you'll have to kill us first!" she said fiercely.

Something flickered in Izetta's eyes.

"You…," said Izetta softly. "You're their daughter – Athena and Bernadette's, I mean."

"What of it?" said Diana, leering.

"You know how to perform White Magic, don't you?" Izetta said quietly to Diana. "Can you help Wendy with her arm? She knows how to heal flesh wounds and recover stamina, but broken bones seem out of her league."

"Did you not just hear me?" said Diana strongly. "I said, if you want to get to Akko, you're going to have to kill us first!"

"Only one person needs to die," said Izetta. "No one else."

"Oh, suddenly growing a conscience, are you?" Akko spat, trying to wrench herself free of Lotte and Diana. "Didn't care last time, did you? Didn't mind slaughtering all those people to get to the Janssons…. Don't tell me you've gone soft in Dol Guldur."

"Akko!" Lotte whimpered. "Be quiet!"

"SHE BETRAYED MY MOM!" Akko roared. "SHE KILLED YOUR PARENTS!"

And with a huge effort she broke free of Lotte and Diana's restraint and lunged forward –

She had forgotten about magic – forgotten about the Shiny Rod still on her belt – forgotten that she was short and skinny and thirteen, whereas Izetta was a tall, full-grown woman – all Akko knew was that she wanted to hurt Izetta as she could and that she didn't care how much she got hurt in return –

But Izetta didn't need a wand to flip Akko overhead, throwing her carelessly into the wall. The magical aura around Izetta flared up and Akko suddenly felt a sensation of weightlessness before she was hurtled to the back of the room. Akko slumped to the ground on her back, but quickly flipped over to her feet and made another charge. But Izetta only needed to glance over her shoulder to slam Akko to the floor, suddenly feeling as if the gravity had increased by ten times –

Lotte was screaming; Diana was yelling; Wendy rolled off the bed with her arm tucked against her chest while Sucy reached for one of the many jars hidden up her sleeve. Izetta merely glanced in her direction and the jar exploded in Sucy's hand, spilling the contents all over the floor and the smell of burning wood filled their nostrils. In this moment of distraction, Akko scuttled over and tackled Izetta around the knees, knocking her down to the floor. Akko climbed up Izetta's body until they were face to face, flailing her arms madly and punching every part of Izetta she could find.

But Izetta's free hand found Akko's throat –

"No," she hissed. "You don't understand. I've waited too long for this – "

The fingers tightened, Akko choked.

Then she saw Diana's foot swing out of nowhere. Izetta let go of Akko with a grunt of pain; Lotte had thrown herself on the hand Izetta was holding their wands and Akko heard a faint clatter –

She fought free of the tangle of bodies and saw her own wand rolling across the floor; she threw herself toward it –

"Argh!"

Izetta grabbed her by the back of her belt and pulled, throwing her into Diana and Lotte, somehow ending up on the bottom of the pile. Akko shoved the two off, took a knee, and spun around. Her heart suddenly stopped –

Izetta stood up straight, holding both hands out towards both groups, a menacing red aura shrouding her. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she looked between Akko, Diana, and Lotte near the stairs and Sucy and Wendy near the bed. But Akko's dread came when she looked at what Izetta was clutching in her left hand: it was the Shiny Rod; Akko realized too late that her waist felt lighter.

Izetta took a deep, cleansing breath, and cast her weary eyes on Akko.

"Are you ready to calm down now?" she whispered. "Or are you going to try and kill me again?"

Akko slowly rose to her feet, ignoring Diana's hissing for her to stay down, and glared at the woman. A livid bruise was rising around Izetta's left eye and her nose was bleeding.

"You're a monster," said Akko, her voice shaking slightly. "It's your fault my mom went missing. You killed Lotte's parents.

Izetta stared down at her with those blood-red eyes.

"I don't deny it," she said very quietly. "But if you knew the whole story."

"The whole story?" Akko repeated, a furious pounding in her ears. "You betrayed my mom to Aradia and killed Lotte's mom and dad. That's all I need to know."

"Betrayed Chariot to Aradia," Izetta said with a raised eyebrow; there was a note of bewilderment in her voice now. "What has she been doing all this time…. Akko, you have to listen to me. You don't understand anything about what really happened – "

"I understand a lot better than you think," said Akko, and her voice shook more than ever. "Do you know what I see when the Heartless get close to me? I get visions – from the past Shiny Rod holders, including my mom. I can see their memories. I saw her memories of you, and I felt how much she loved you…and you betrayed her…."

"And I love my sister with all my heart," said Izetta seriously. "That's why you need to hear what I have to say…. At the very least, you need to know what really happened when you were born that caused all this…."

Akko stared down with Izetta, her fist clenched and her breath coming out in heavy, raging spurts. If she had been alone, Akko would have just thrown herself at Izetta, not caring if the older woman had her at a disadvantage; Akko was plenty used to being outclassed by others. But she wasn't alone in this. Diana was holding out her arm, keeping Lotte behind her, who had quite silent. Sucy stood on the opposite end of the room with her hands in the air and Wendy's ragged breathing came from near the bed.

The second lengthened. Everyone stood frozen in their places….

And then came a new sound –

Muffled footsteps were echoing up through the floor – someone was moving downstairs.

"WE'RE UP HERE!" Diana screamed suddenly. "WE'RE UP HERE – IZETTA – _QUICK!_ "

Izetta made a startled movement that almost caused her to drop the Shiny Rod; Akko's legs twitched with the urgency to move forward – _Do it now!_ said a voice in her head – but the footsteps were thundering up the stairs and Akko still haven't moved.

A shadow swooped over the stairway railing, flying overhead, and landed in front of Akko at a crouch. Akko stumbled back as Ursula – her teaching robe discarded and donning a thin bodysuit – shot up and raised her wand at the ready. Her eyes flickered over Wendy, cradling her arm, to Sucy, looking paler than normal, over to Diana and Lotte, cowering near the stairs, and finally to Akko, gritting her teeth like she was ready to attack despite shaking like a leaf. Slowly, she turned around toward Izetta and her wand flew across the air faster than any of them could blink.

" _ **Detrahere arma**_!" Ursula shouted.

The Shiny Rod flew out of Izetta's hand. Ursula caught it deftly out of the air, then moved leisurely across the room, until she was looking down at Izetta, being at least a head taller than her.

Akko stood there, feeling suddenly empty. She hadn't done anything. Her nerves had failed her. Izetta was going to be handed back to the Heartless.

Then Ursula let out an exasperated sigh and spoke in an agitated voice.

"What the hell are you thinking? I already told you, it's too early."

Akko looked quickly at Ursula. She didn't understand what Ursula meant. What was too early? She leaned around to look at Izetta again, who looked irritable.

"I've spent the last ten months destroying all those Ley Line terminals, cutting off all the escape routes, until there is only one left. The year is almost over – this is the best possible time to act. If we wait too long – "

"I didn't want to bring Akko here this early," Ursula muttered, staring at Izetta so intently it seemed she was trying to read her mind, "…if you had just show the slightest ounce of patience – "

"Patience?" snapped Izetta. "I've been patient! For thirteen years! In Dol Guldur! Or have you forgotten about that?"

"Okay, okay, calm down," said Ursula soothingly, resting her hands on Izetta's shoulder. "I get it. You want to get this done as quick as possible – and you should – but there is a lot of factors to take into consideration."

"Are you sure you haven't forgotten?" said Izetta accusingly. "She's acting like she doesn't know anything…. What have you been doing with her all this time?"

"I know, I know, I've been putting it off when I shouldn't have," said Ursula, hanging her head low. "I'm sorry, but…it's Akko…. I just wanted to spare her feelings…."

"Ah…you've always been such a softy…," said Izetta, shaking her head

"Professor," Akko interrupted loudly. "What's going on - ?"

But she never finished the question, because what she saw made her voice die in her throat. Ursula lowered her wand, gazing fixatedly at Izetta. Then the Professor embraced Izetta like a sister and then stepped around so that they were standing shoulder to shoulder, leering at Akko.

Akko felt as though the bottom had dropped out of her stomach.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Diana screamed.

Everyone jumped, startled, and turned to her. She pointed at Ursula, wild-eyed, spitting. "You – you – "

"Diana – "

"You and her – "

"Diana, calm down – "

"I didn't tell anyone!" Diana shrieked. "No matter how much I thought I should – "

"Diana, listen to me, please!" Ursula shouted. "I can explain – "

Akko could feel herself shaking, not with fear, but with a fresh wave of fury.

"I trusted you!" she shouted at Ursula, her voice wavering out of control, "and all the time you've been helping her!"

"You're only half right," said Ursula. "I have been helping her, but not in the way you think – you just have to trust me – "

"How can we trust you," Diana screamed, "when you've been lying to us since the beginning? Not about Izetta, but about who you really are, _Ursula Callistis_!

There was a ringing silence. Everyone's eyes were now on Ursula, who looked remarkably calm, though rather pale.

"How long have you known?" she asked quietly.

"Since the end of our first year," Diana whispered. "It struck me as odd at how much you know about everything that was going on, about the Shiny Rod and Chariot Du Nord. You claimed to have been close friends to Chariot Du Nord, but I had other suspicions."

"You always were a diligent student," said Ursula coolly. "When you set your mind to something, you don't stop until it's done…. I suppose that when you started to become suspicious, you searched the school archives for records of all past students? Tell me, when did you first suspect who I was?"

"The day you told us about Arcas," said Diana. "The marking on its brow seemed familiar to me, so I looked it up. That's how I was able to make the connection."

Ursula forced a laugh.

"Very impressive, Diana. You truly are the cleverest witch of the age."

"I'm not," Diana whispered. "If I had been a bit cleverer, I would have told someone about you when Izetta escaped."

"Quite a few people already know," said Ursula. "Croix, Blair, Holbrooke, Finnelan, Elma – they already know.

"What about Akko?" said Diana. "Doesn't she deserve to know. You've been teaching her – training her – all this time. She's earned the truth more than anyone."

"And I will tell her eventually, just not now," said Ursula. "It's…complicated…."

"Could you stop pretending like I'm not here!" Akko yelled. "I don't know what you two are talking about and I don't care! All I care about is that the teacher I thought was my friend has been helping her this whole time!" She was pointing at Izetta, who suddenly crossed to the bed and sank onto it, her face hidden in one shaking hand. Wendy and Sucy both edged away from her.

"As I keep saying, you only know half the truth," said Ursula. "If you would give me a chance, I could explain. Look – "

She waved her wand to the bundle of other wands that had been dropped in the earlier scuffle and sent them flying to their respective owners. He then threw the Shiny Rod to Akko, who caught it, stunned.

"There," said Ursula, sticking her own wand back into her belt. "You're armed, we're not. Now will you listen?"

Akko didn't know what to think. Was it a trick?

"How did you know we were here?" she asked suspiciously.

"The Book," said Ursula. "The Shiny Guide Book. I was in my office examining it carefully this evening because I had an idea that you, Lotte, and Sucy might try and sneak out of the castle to visit Professor Pisces before her Qilin was executed. And I was right, wasn't I?"

She had started to pace up and down, looking at them, the wood creaking under her feet.

"You might have been wearing your mother's ring, Akko," said Ursula, "but even if you're under the Ring of Gyges' spell, you still show up on the Shiny Guide Book. I watched you cross the grounds and enter the paddock where they were holding the Qilin. I saw you conversing with Diana and Miss Marvell for twenty minutes and left when the Chairman arrived. You set off toward the castle together, but then I saw another dot moving toward you to intercept your path, labeled _Mikko –_ "

"But it wasn't Mikko," said Lotte. "It was Izetta. She was disguised as Mikko."

"That's an unfortunate flaw in the Shiny Guide Book that Chariot and Izetta overlooked when they made it," said Ursula. "The Shiny Guide Book takes everything at face value. It can see through invisibility spells, but it can't see through disguises. At least not when someone portrays themselves as someone else."

"What do you mean?" asked Lotte.

"I mean, that the Shiny Guide Book bases its information on who the subject perceives themselves to be," said Ursula. "That is, if someone believes they are someone else, then that is who will show up in the Shiny Guide Book. Looking back, it really was a glaring oversight on Chariot's part. That's why Izetta showed up as Mikko in the Book, because she believed herself to be Mikko while she was transformed. That's why you never noticed her in your dorm whenever you looked at the Book. And that's why I saw Mikko's name when she pulled Miss Marvell under the Mandrake."

"Did you know that Mikko was her?" said Akko, with a furious glance at Izetta.

"Yes, from the first moment out eyes met in London," said Ursula. "I had known Izetta long enough to recognize her magical signature."

"Then why didn't you say anything?" asked Akko. "Weren't you worried she might attack me? Or did you not care?"

"I was suspicious as to why Izetta would use a metamorphosis spell to transform herself into a pet," said Ursula, "but I knew she would never act on anything as long as Professor Holbrooke was around. So I waited until the school year started before I confronted her. I caught Izetta as she was coming back from destroy the Ley Line terminal at the St. James Church."

"And you didn't arrest her?" asked Sucy.

"That was my original intention at first," said Ursula. "Like the rest of you, I had believed she was a criminal, but I suppose some part of me wanted to believe that there was still some good in her. I listened to her story, and she convinced me to help her."

"But why was she destroying the Ley Line terminals in the first place?" asked Wendy. "Because of her, now there's only one exit from Luna Nova."

"And that was exactly the point," said Ursula. "With all the other Ley Line terminals gone, there is only one way to leave the school, which meant that if he ever tried to escape, we could funnel him into a trap."

"Who are you talking about?" said Akko. "If you and Izetta aren't trying to kill me, then who are you really after?"

"Master Noah," said Ursula gravely. "But back then, we knew him as Amon. He was the real traitor that orchestrated the coup against Chariot and her allies."

"Wait, what?" Akko sputtered, looking between Lotte and Diana, who looked equally confused. "No, no, Master Noah wouldn't do that! It had to be Izetta! She killed all those people in Zurich! There were eyewitnesses and everything! The Chairman even said that Izetta brought Aradia to the Grand Triskellion when I was born!"

"Aradia wasn't there," croaked Izetta suddenly. "That would have been impossible."

"What d'you mean – Aradia was there, I destroyed her – "

"You didn't destroy anyone, Akko," said Ursula quietly. "The Eclipse Queen was never there."

"But – then why – "

"The Eclipse Queen couldn't have been there," said Izetta, "because Aradia doesn't exist."

* * *

 **Next Chapter: Aradia**


	18. Aradia

**Akko Kagari and the White Witch**

 **Chapter Eighteen: Aradia**

It took a few seconds for this statement to sink in. Then Sucy voiced what Akko was thinking.

"What the hell are you talking about? The Eclipse Queen doesn't exist?"

"That's absurd!" said Diana faintly.

"Aradia is the evilest person that ever lived!" said Akko. "Everyone is so afraid of her that no one even says her name out loud! How could people be afraid of someone that doesn't exist?"

"That is true, but let me ask you this," said Ursula calmly. "You've all heard of Aradia and the terrible things she's done, but do you know anyone that has actually _seen_ her?"

Akko opened her mouth…but nothing came out. Now that she thought about it, she really had never heard of anyone who had ever seen the Eclipse Queen before. She recalled back near the end of her first year when Professor Holbrooke herself admitted that she had never come face to face with Aradia, despite rumors saying that the Eclipse Queen feared her above all else. As far as she knew, the only person that had ever seen Aradia was…. Akko suddenly felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on her, sending a chill down her spine as a spark a realization came to her –

"Shiny Chariot," Akko muttered. "Professor Holbrooke said the only person that ever saw Aradia was Shiny Chariot. If it's true, and Araida really doesn't exist, then the person who made it up was – "

"Your mother," Ursula concluded, "in an effort to hide her true objectives."

"Ugh, why are we wasting our time talking about this!" Izetta growled impatiently. "The longer we wait, the more chances he has to get away! Look, we just need the Shiny Rod, so let's just take it and go!"

And she lunged at Akko, swinging her arms madly for the Shiny Rod. Akko quickly jumped back just as Diana stepped forward and cast a quick spell to create a barrier between them.

"Izetta, NO!" Ursula yelled, launching herself forward and dragging Izetta away from the girls again. "WAIT! You can't just do it like that – they need to understand – we've got to explain – "

"We can explain afterwards!" yelled Izetta, trying to throw Ursula off. One hand was still clawing the barrier as it tried to reach Akko.

"We – can't – use – the Rod – without – Akko!" Ursula panted, still trying to restrain Izetta. "The Rod is not ours to use anymore; it's bonded with her! The only way we can use it is if Akko agrees to help, but she won't do that if she doesn't know everything! We both owe it to Akko to tell her the truth!"

Izetta stopped struggling, though her blood-red eyes were still fixed on Akko, who was ducking behind Diana and her barrier, clutching the Shiny Rod tightly in her hands.

"All right…all right…," Izetta submitted, without taking her eyes off the Rod. "Tell them whatever you like. But make it quick. If I'm going back to Dol Guldur, I'd rather do so for actually committing the crime I was sentenced for…."

"You're out of your mind, both of you," said Wendy shakily, looked round at Sucy and the others. "I can't take this anymore. I'm leaving."

She tried to walk toward the stairs, but the bed suddenly slid sideways and knocked Wendy out from under her legs, making her flop back on the mattress. Izetta lowered her hand and gave Wendy a stunning glare.

"No one is going anywhere until we resolve this," she said quietly. "I don't want to risk you running into anyone and telling them what's happened. Not when we're so close…."

"You could be a touch more delicate, Izetta," said Ursula, scolding her. "But she is right; we need to settle some things between us. I'm sure you all have a lot of questions."

"That's putting it lightly," said Akko quietly. "For starters, tell me about Aradia. You said she doesn't exist, but that can't be true. Everyone knows about her."

"Yes, everyone does know who Aradia is," said Ursula. "And that's because Chariot _wanted_ everyone to know. She wanted to create a name that everyone would fear to speak; create a villain that would send even the greatest of men fleeing in terror. Chariot made up a fictional terror in order to cover up her hidden agenda."

Akko looked back at Lotte, and as their eyes met, they agreed silently; Ursula and Izetta were both out of their minds. Their story made no sense whatsoever. How could Aradia not exist? Wasn't Akko's entire life story based around her destroying Aradia as a baby? Dol Guldur must have unhinged Izetta after all – but why was Ursula playing along with her?

Then Diana spoke, in a trembling, would-be calm sort of voice, as though trying to will Ursula to talk sensibly.

"But that doesn't make any sense, Professor…the Eclipse Queen has to be real…it wouldn't make sense otherwise…"

"And why doesn't it make sense, Diana?" Ursula said calmly, as though they were in class, and Diana had simply spotted a problem in their homework.

"Because…because the Magic Council confirmed that the Eclipse Queen was real on multiple accounts. Whenever a great tragedy struck the magical community, the Magic Council was able to trace it back to the Eclipse Queen. The Magical Barrier Partical infection that killed thousands of demi-humans in Hargeon Town; the Red Hole incident that created the Deadmen; the Ishval Civil War – all of it was confirmed to be the work of the Eclipse Queen's's group. I know because I looked them up back in my first year, after I learned Akko was the Star-Born Child. The Chairman was the Junior Executive Head of Disaster Relief at the time; he was the one keeping tabs on the Eclipse Queen's movements. So how do you explain all these events if the Eclipse Queen never existed?"

Akko barely had time to marvel inwardly at the effort Diana put into her research, when Ursula started to laugh.

"Very impressive, Diana!" she said. "But I'm afraid your information is inaccurate. All those tragic events you just recalled – they were unrelated to one another. The idea that Aradia was behind them all was a completely lie."

"A – A lie?" Diana sputtered. "What do you mean it was a lie?"

"If you're going to tell them the story, get a move on," snarled Izetta impatiently, who was still watching Akko's every move like a hungry lion. "I've waited thirteen years, I'm not going to wait longer."

"All right…but I need to explain the circumstance," said Ursula. "You see, about the Magic Council…"

Ursula broke off. There had been a loud creak behind her. It was coming from the stairs. All seven of them stared in that direction. Then Ursula strode toward it and stared down the steps.

"No one's there…"

"You still haven't answered my question!" shouted Diana. "The Eclipse Queen was credited for some of the greatest catastrophes in Demi-Human history! Why would the Magic Council lie about something like that?"

"Because the Magic Council was working with Shiny Chariot," Akko muttered softly. "They were in on it."

"Exactly," said Ursula, still looking at the stairwell in a puzzled way. "Sounds like Akko knows more about Chariot's organization than she let on – probably overheard it from the Chairman himself when he came to visit last Christmas, no doubt telling everything to the teachers when they went to Blytonbury together."

"That fatass never could keep his big mouth shut," grumbled Izetta. "How the hell did he become Chairman."

"The Chairman's competency aside," said Ursula, brushing her hair out of her eyes, "at the time, Crawford Seam was still on the Magic Council as its tenth seat. As such, he was privy to knowledge that only the twelve seats were aware of. Chariot Du Nord had formed an organization working in secret under the Magic Council. Per Chariot's suggestion, the Magic Council fabricated a villain calling herself Aradia, naming herself after the Gospels of Aradia. Every time a tragedy stuck, Crawford Seam would place blame on this imaginary tyrant when, in reality, they had nothing in common. The Hargeon infestation was created by a Demon of Zeref; the Red Hole was the result of a couple of scientists tempering with forces beyond their understanding; the Ishval Civil War was started by a Homonculus named Envy to turn the country into a sacrificial offering. Like I said, completely unrelated."

"But why?" asked Diana. "Why would the Magic Council go so far to make up something as big as that?"

"It was all to hide the movements of Chariot's organization," said Ursula. "Once the entire world became frightened of the mere mention of Aradia, they were able to move about freely, throwing the name around as a way to scare people away while we achieved our goals. And whenever someone reported Aradia's followers, the Magic Council would purposely deploy its people to the wrong places or give them false information, making it seem like that were too late. The Twelve Seats went through a lot of effort to keep our cover – I can still remember Crawford complaining about all that paperwork."

"But what was the point?" said Diana. "What was the endgame?"

"The Book of Dawn," said Izetta, still leering at Akko. "It was the first volume in the Gospels of Aradia. It had been passed down through the Du Nord family for generations ever since it was handwritten by the Great Witch Jennifer. It spoke of a prophecy – about the birth of the Star-Born Child and the new Golden Age of Magic. It was Chariot who saw the signs and deciphered the meaning behind the prophecy. She knew that the Star-Born Child was coming soon and told the Magic Council. That's why they worked together – to revive the world into what it is now."

Akko could tell that Diana was unconvinced; she had already proven that she held little regard in the way of fate and prophecy, but she didn't scoff or retort; she stared straight ahead at Ursula and asked, "How did you achieve it? What did your organization do that required you to remain hidden from the world?"

"Well, well, I thought you would be a little more skeptical than that," said Ursula with a small smile. "Well, to explain that, we first have to go back to the age before any of you were born. Even when we were students, magic was depleting resource. We couldn't use it freely like we do now. Back in those days, we could only access tiny quantities of magic through the use of Sorcerer Stones, which had the power to absorb and store magical energy from the Ley Lines. However, Sorcerer Stones were very rare and impossible to mass produce. Magic was limited only to certain places globally, including Luna Nova and the Cavendish Manor. As you can imagine, it made life very difficult for Demi-Humans, especially the fairies that need magic in order to survive.

"We all knew we were living on borrowed time. The Sorcerer Stones were siphoning off a great deal of Fuel Spirit from the planet, and with a few dozens of these artifacts draining the Ley Lines all over the world, it was only a matter of time before magic vanished entirely.

"But Chariot found a way. After she finally unlocked the secret of the Book of Dawn, she went straight to the Magic Council and told them of her plan: to destroy the Sorcerer Stones."

"What?" Wendy shouted.

"Destroy the Sorcerer Stones!" screamed Lotte.

"But that would prevent the Demi-Humans from using magic at all!" said Diana.

"We know; that's why we needed the Magic Council to create Aradia so that we could hide what we were doing," said Ursula grimly. "We knew that if our plan was made public, it would cause mass hysteria – everyone would be fighting one another to keep the Stones for themselves. So we destroyed them in secret, disguising our attempts as attacks made by Aradia. And with the Book of Dawn, we were not only able to locate each and every Sorcerer Stone, but we were able to find many like-minded people who were interested in our cause – "

"A whole lot of good that did us," muttered Izetta darkly.

"And what happened after you destroyed all the Stones?" asked Sucy, holding a straight face despite the severity of the discussion.

"We knew that once all the Stones had been destroyed, there would be nowhere left for the Fuel Spirit to go. The Ley Lines would clog up and eventually seek a way to exit the Earth. And there was only one place left to do just that: The Grand Triskellion."

"The Heart of Yggdrasil," said Izetta. "Legend says many centuries ago, the seed of creation fell to Earth, growing into a mystical tree known as Yggdrasil. Through its branches, a special energy flowed, flooding the planet with its power. The First Witch was said to have whittled the First Wand from one of the branches and formed the first spell that would lead to the creation of magic. But Yggdrasil eventually withered away until all that was left were its roots, which became the Ley Lines. The Grand Triskellion rests on top of where Yggdrasil once sprouted and was said to hold another seed of creation inside of it, waiting to be sprouted."

"Exactly," said Ursula, nodding. "With magic slowly fading away, they had no choice but to cling to that legend and hope that it was true."

"So when the Sorcerer Stones were destroyed," said Lotte slowly, "the magical energy had no choice but to return to where it started."

"And that's where Akko was born," said Diana. "But the thing I don't understand is how Akko being born could lead to this…magic tree to sprout again and revive the magical world."

"I won't claim to fully understand it myself," said Ursula, "but from what I can tell, Yggdrasil first sprouted centuries ago because the First Witch had a heart that believed in things beyond the realm of normality, to become something extraordinary. The seed of creation sprouted from the First Witch's strong belief and gave rise to magic."

"A Believe Heart is your Magic," said Akko. "So it wasn't just a catchphrase."

"Chariot carried that mantra close to her heart for some many years," said Ursula. "She believed that with a believing heart, the seed of creation could sprout again and the magical world could be reborn. And when Akko was born, her heart was the purest in the world, ready to believe in a fresh, new world of wonders. That, I believe, is what caused Yggdrasil to be revived and created the world we now live in."

Akko felt dizzy; she stumbled backwards until her back hit the wall, holding her head in her free hand as Lotte swooped over to her with a look of concern. It just seemed so…insane? Impossible? Improbable? Yeah, it seemed like all of those things wrapped up in one. Ursula was talking about ancient myths and legend like they were real. Akko was all for believing in magic, but even she had to admit that there was a fine line between reality and complete delusions. I mean, did Ursula really expect them to believe that some magic seed just flew down from space and transformed into a cosmic tree that created all of magic simply because one person wanted to believe it was real? Did she really think they would believe that this so-called seed of creation would grow back just because a newborn baby was near it? It is absolutely, undeniable, unequivocally –

"Ridiculous," muttered Akko.

"I'm sure you think so," said Ursula calmly. "And I wouldn't blame you if you chose not to believe it; it took a lot of persuasion to convince most of our members. But you have to understand that we were desperate at the time. Magic was dying and we had nothing but a legend and a prophecy to hold onto."

"About that prophecy," Sucy spoke up. "If all the seed needed to grow back was a baby, couldn't any baby have done the job? Why did it have to be Akko?"

"She makes a good point," said Wendy. "You didn't really need it to be Akko, did you?"

"You are not wrong about that," said Ursula with a slight grimace. "If all it needed was a pure heart that believed strong enough, Yggdrasil could have, in fact, grown back with just about any child. Rather than Akko, it could have been Lotte that had become the Star-Born Child. I'm sure you're already aware that her parents were members of Chariot's organization, and she had been born a few months before Akko, so she could have been equally suited to carry the burden. But, no, Chariot made the choice to let Akko carry the responsibility. She was pregnant at the time, and her due date was close – she took the chance. Though now, I have to wonder what kind of parent would force such a heavy weight on their own child before they were even born."

"All right, you told them the story," snarled Izetta, who made another attempt to rush Akko, but was held back by Ursula. "Now give us that Rod!"

"Hold on, Izetta, we're not done yet!" Ursula grunted. "We still haven't told them the reason why you were sent to Dol Guldur or why you came to Luna Nova."

"She was sent because she blew up half of Zurich," said Sucy, frowning. "She killed Lotte's parents and hundreds of others. She even admitted it."

"Yes, that's true, but that's not the whole story," said Ursula, finally managing to shove Izetta back. "You see, before we get into what happened at Zurich, we need to explain what happened after Akko was born."

"When Izetta started the coup against my mom," said Akko.

"Well, yes and no," said Ursula, waving her hand ion a so-so motion. "There was a coup, and a good number of our own people turned on us, but it wasn't Izetta who led them. Many of our colleagues – Ruvik, Cinder, and such – turned around and started attacking us moments after Chariot had given birth. We were caught by surprise; they took out nearly half of our organization before we could even get out wits about ourselves. Chariot was too weak from the birthing process to defend herself – half the reason why no one tried anything before was because they were afraid of Chariot turning the Shiny Rod's magic on them. Luckily, most of our strongest members remained loyal to our cause – Croix, Blair, both of Diana's mothers, Lotte's parents; they were able to push them back long enough until Yggdrasil was able to sprout once more. Once magic had returned to the world, we quickly turned the tide and rounded up the traitors, though many of them still managed to get away.

"And you know the story after that. Akko was sent to live with the Kagari, the Seven Stars of Arcturus were scattered, and Izetta was committed for destroying Zurich and killed large sums of people. At least, that's what I was led to believe for many years. Despite knowing Izetta for so long, I still somehow lost faith in her... So much for a believing heart... And when she broke out of Dol Guldur, I was still convinced that she had done it."

Ursula's face had hardened, and there was self-disgust in her voice. "All this year, I had been battling with myself, wondering whether I should tell Professor Holbrooke that Izetta was pretending to be Lotte's pet all this time. But I didn't do it. Why? Because I was too cowardly. It would have meant admitting that I'd given up on her, admit that I chose to stop believing in her…and Professor Holbrooke's trust meant everything to me. I told her the truth about our time in Chariot's organization after she gave me a job. She was able to look past all the horrible things I had down and showed me forgiveness…forgiveness that I didn't deserve. And so I convinced myself that Mikko couldn't have possibly been Izetta, that she was getting into the school using dark magic she had learned during her time in Dol Guldur…so, in a way, I have been helping Izetta all this time by not ratting her out. I suppose Finenlan has been right about me after all."

"Finnelan…," said Izetta in a suddenly hollow voice, taking her eyes off Akko for the first time in minutes and looking up at Ursula. "Does she…does she still blame us for what happened? I've tried to avoid her while roaming the castle…."

"I don't think she'll ever forgive us, Izetta," said Ursula heavily. "After all, we were the one that convinced her to join our cause…and it was our fault that we lost her…."

"What're you talking about?" asked Diana. "What does Finnelan have to do with any of this?"

"One of the members of Chariot's organization…was Finnelan's daughter," said Izetta solemnly.

"Finnelan had a daughter?" said Lotte in surprise.

"She was at school with us," said Ursula. "She and Chariot never really got along because she was always enforcing the rules and Chariot was the biggest troublemaker to ever set foot in Luna Nova. But despite their differences, there was no one Chariot trusted more, even more than Croix and Blair. She was the first one that Chariot approached when she created the organization and they worked together to decipher the messages in the Book of Dawn. They were our group's strongest team; we never would have accomplished all that we had done without her."

"And…what happened to her?" asked Wendy in a small voice.

"When Chariot went into labor, she was the one who delivered Akko and the one who protected her the whole time when the coup happened," Ursula told them. "She was tremendously strong, able to hold back multiple enemies all while holding Akko in her arms. But by the time Yggdrasil sprouted, she could no longer fight…she was the greatest casualty of that fight. I went to tell Finnelan in person what happened. She…she was so upset; she cried and screamed and blamed me for everything. It was no less than what I deserved. We were the ones that forced her into joining our cause, and we were the ones that killed her in the end. She's held a grudge against us ever since. She fought very hard against me and Croix's appointments to being teachers at the school. She's been telling Professor Holbrooke for years that we are not to be trusted…. I often wonder if maybe she was right…."

"So that's why Professor Finnelan hates my mom," said Akko slowly, "because she thinks Chariot killed her daughter."

"That's right," sneered a cold voice from the wall behind Ursula.

Professor Finnelan was pulling off the Ring of Gyges, her wand pressed against Ursula's chest, directly over her heart.

* * *

 **Next Chapter: The Man with Two Faces**


	19. The Man with Two Face

**Akko Kagari and the White Witch**

 **Chapter Nineteen: The Man with Two Faces**

Lotte screamed. Izetta leapt backwards. Akko felt as though she'd received a huge electric shock.

"I found this near the fountain of Jennifer," said Professor Finnelan, throwing the Ring of Gyges aside, careful to keep her wand pressed directly at Ursula's chest. "Very useful, Miss Kagari, I thank you…."

Professor Finnelan was slightly breathless, but her face was full of suppressed triumph. "You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here?" she said, her eyes glittering. "I've just been to your office, Ursula. I was coming to collect your exam reports for the student's grades this year. And very lucky I did…lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain book. One glance at it told me all I needed to know. I saw you running along this passageway and out of sight."

"Professor – " Ursula began, but Finnelan overrode her.

"I've told the headmistresses again and again that you couldn't be trusted for years. I knew you were somehow helping Izetta, Professor Ursula, and here's the proof. Not even I dreamed you would have the nerve to use this sacred site as your hideout – "

"Professor, you're making a mistake," said Ursula urgently. "You haven't heard everything – I can explain – Izetta is not here to kill Akko – "

"Two more for Dol Guldur tonight," said Professor Finnelan, her eyes now gleaming fanatically. "I shall be interested to see how Professor Holbrooke takes this…. She was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Ursula. But I knew better…a leopard doesn't change their spots – "

"Professor, I am sorry," said Ursula softly. "I am truly, _truly_ sorry for what happened to your daughter, but you can't seriously consider putting an innocent woman back in Dol Guldur for that – "

 **BANG!** Thin, snakelike cords burst from the end of Finnelan's wand and twisted themselves around Ursula's mouth, wrists, and ankles; she overbalanced and fell to the floor, unable to move. With a roar of rage, Izetta started toward Finnelan, but Finnelan pointed her wand straight between Izetta's eyes.

"Don't – ever – mention my daughter – in front of me!" she whispered with venom laced in every word. "I've spent the last thirteen years dreaming of this moment. Give me a reason – just one – and I swear I will do it."

Izetta stopped dead. She looked like a wounded puppy that had just been kicked by its owner.

Akko stood there, paralyzed, not knowing what to do or whom to believe. She glanced around at her friends. Lotte looked just as confused as she did, Wendy was cradling her broken arm as she stood behind Sucy, who was remarkably straight-faced during all this. Diana, however, took an uncertain step toward Finnelan and said, in a very breathless voice, "Professor Finnelan – it – it wouldn't hurt to hear what they've got to say, w – would it?"

"Miss Cavendish, you are already facing suspension from this school," Finnelan said evenly. "You, Kagari, Yanson, Manbavaran, and Marvell are out-of-bounds in the company of a convicted murderer and a terrorist. Not even your family's influence can get you out of this."

"But if- if there was a mistake – "

"THAT'S ENOUGH OUT OF YOU, MISS CAVENDISH!" Professor Finnelan shouted, looking suddenly quite deranged. "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" a few sparks shot out of the end of her wand, which was still pointed at Izetta's face. Diana fell silent.

"Vengeance is very sweet," Professor Finnelan breathed at Izetta. "How I hoped I would be the one to catch you…."

"Fine, fine, I'll go along quietly," Izetta conceded. "Besides, all I need to do is go up to the castle and I can prove my innocence – "

"Up to the castle?" said Professor Finnelan silkily. "I don't think we need to go that far. All I have to do is call the Heartless once we get out of the tunnel underneath the Mandrake. They'll be please to see you, Du Nord…pleased enough to have a little _heart-to-heart_ , I daresay…."

What little color there was in Izetta's face left it.

"You – you've got to hear me out," she croaked. "It's not what it seems – the truth – "

But there was a mad glint in Finnelan's eyes that Akko had never seen before. She seemed beyond reason.

"Come on, all of you," she said. She clicked her fingers, and the ends of the cords that bound Ursula flew to her hands. "I'll drag the traitor. Perhaps the Heartless will have a heart for her, too…or maybe the other way around – "

But before she knew what she was doing, Akko crossed the room blocked the stairway.

"Get out of the way, Miss Kagari, you're in enough trouble already," snarled Professor Finnelan. "If I hadn't been here to save your skin – "

"Professor Ursula could have killed me about a million times over by now," Akko said. "She's been my teacher for three years and I've been alone with her loads of times. If she wanted to kill me, why did she wait so long to do it then?"

"I believe she just finished her story about her secret club and their convoluted schemes," hissed Professor Finnelan. "Get out of the way, Miss Kagari."

"YOU'RE UNBELIEVABLE!" Akko yelled. "YES, YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO BE ANGRY ABOUT LOSING YOUR DAUGHTER, BUT THEY DIDN'T FORCE HER INTO ANYTHING; SHE CHOSE IT – "

"SILENCE! I WILL NOT BE SPOKE TO LIKE THAT!" Professor Finnelan shrieked, looking madder than ever. "Like mother, like daughter, Miss Kagari! I have just saved your neck; you should be thanking me on bended knee! You would have been well served if they had killed you! You're just as imprudent as your mother, too arrogant to believe you might be mistaken in Izetta Du Nord – now get out of the way, or I will _make you._ GET OUT OF THE WAY, MISS KAGARI!"

Akko made up her mind in a split second. Before Finnelan could take even one step toward her, she had raised her wand.

" _ **Belga Veeda!**_ " she yelled – except that hers wasn't the only voice that shouted. There was a blast that made the ceiling rattle, showing them in dust and woodchips; Professor Finnelan was lifted off her feet and slammed into the wall, then slid down it to the floor, a trickle of blood oozing from under her hair. She had been knocked out.

Akko looked around. Lotte and Sucy came as no surprise, but it looked like Diana had cast her own spell at the exact same moment as them. Finnelan's wand soared in a high arc and landed on the bed.

"Hey, that was pretty fun," said Sucy, smiling.

"You shouldn't have done that," said Izetta, looking at Akko. "You should have left her to me…."

Akko avoided Izetta's eyes. She wasn't sure, even now, that she'd done the right thing.

"We attacked a teacher…. We attacked a teacher…," Diana whimpered, staring at the lifeless Finnelan with frightened eyes. "Oh, we're going to be in so much trouble – "

Ursula was struggling against her bonds. Izetta bent down quickly and untied them. Ursula straightened up, rubbing her arms where the ropes had cut into them.

"Thank you, Akko," she said.

"I'm still not saying I believe you," she told Ursula. "I'm saying, I'm giving you a chance to explain yourself. If Izetta wasn't the one that betrayed my mom, then who did?"

"He calls himself Amon," said Izetta. "When we first met him, he was a waterbender with no name or face of his own; always wore a mask and never told anyone who he really was underneath. He was fighting for equality between Humans and Demi-Humans back when our kind was the minority. He was so passionate about creating a peaceful world where everyone was equal, regardless of who they are. It only seemed natural to bring him into our group. We never realized at the time that he had been plotting behind our backs until it was too late."

"And where is Amon now?" asked Akko.

"Up there in the school," said Izetta, gesturing her head to the window. "He's been hiding among the teaching staff under a false name. You may know him as…Master Noah."

There was a moment of stunned silence where Akko exchanged uncertain looks with her friends.

"How could Master Noah be this Amon guy?" said Akko. "I've been with him dozens of times during his anti-Heartless lessons. If he was really the traitor, then why hasn't he tried to kill me then?"

"Because he's not after you this time," said Izetta in a matter-of-fact tone. "He's after something else – something that only exists in Luna Nova; you being here is just a coincidence for him."

"And what is he after?" asked Wendy.

"I don't know," Izetta admitted.

"Then how do you know Master Noah is Amon?" said Diana. "Though they are rare, waterbenders still exist by the dozens. How do you know specifically that Master Noah is the one when you just said you had never seen his face before?"

"I was able to track him down thirteen years ago…with Charlotte Jansson's help," said Izetta gravely.

"My mom?" whispered Lotte, eyes going wide.

"Charlotte Jansson was a master hunter," said Izetta. "Her special brand of tracking magic allowed her to trace the location of anyone anywhere in the world, no matter how hard they tried to cover up their trail. After Amon went into hiding, I pleaded to Charlotte to help me track him down…a mistake that would cost us both. I escorted Charlotte and her husband to Zurich where we trapped Amon in a deserted alley. That…that's when…."

"When you murdered Lotte's parents," said Akko with quiet rage. "You said so yourself; you admitted it just before Professor Ursula showed up."

She was pointing her wand at Izetta, who shook her head slowly; her bloody eyes were suddenly overbright.

"Akko…I won't deny that it was my spell that killed them," she croaked. "But that's not the whole story. As I said, me, Charlotte, and her husband followed Amon's trail all the way to Zurich where we cornered him in an alley. Charlotte and I held him at wand point from one end and Joni – Charlotte's husband – cut him off from the opposite end. He may have been Human, but Joni was just about the toughest man I ever met. We thought that we had him – he was outnumbered…. But we miscalculated. We knew that Amon was a waterbender, but we didn't realize that he had a secret hidden under his sleeve until it was too later. Amon is a bloodbender…."

"A bloodbender?" said Akko, blinking in confusion. "What's that?"

"It's exactly what it sounds like," said Sucy dryly. "Just like a waterbender can control water, bloodbenders can control blood, even when it's inside a living person. It's basically a very painful form of body control. It's highly illegal and punishable by death in the Magic Council."

"Amon caught us off guard," said Izetta softly. "He bloodbended us both and forced us to move into the crowded streets. He staged the entire scene. He forced us to draw our wands on each other so that everyone could see, and then he used bloodbending to force the fuel spirit through my body into my wand and…well, you already know what happened. Eyewitnesses that survived the explosion told the Rune Knights what they saw, and while I was being arrested, Amon disappeared into the shadows. I never saw him again."

She turned around slowly, facing Lotte with eyes full of sorrow.

"I am so sorry I took your parents away from you, Lotte. If I had known what we were facing, I would have gone alone. It's my fault that you grew up without ever knowing your mother and father, but you have to know that I loved Charlotte and Joni like family…and I love you, as if you were my own daughter. That's the main reason why I disguised myself as Mikko, to keep you safe from Amon. Please believe me…."

"I…I do believe you," said Lotte softly, her voice hitching as she rubbed her eyes under her glasses. "The person in the mask that snuck into our dorm that night, the one you chased away, that was Amon, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was," said Izetta. "He was looking for something at the school and probably though it would be in your dorm. Since he is a teacher, he has access to all the common rooms. You were just unlucky to have caught him."

"But there's one thing I don't get," said Sucy. "If you hadn't seen Amon since Zurich, then how did you know he would at Luna Nova. Weren't you locked up in Dol Guldur for thirteen years?"

"You know, Izetta, that is a fair question," said Ursula, turning to her and frowning slightly. "How _did_ you find out he was teaching at the school?"

Izetta put one of her clawlike hands inside her pocket and took out a crumpled piece of paper, which she smoothed flat and held out to show the others.

It was the photograph of Constanze receiving the Arachne Genius Grant that had appeared in the news on Akko's birthday, and there, standing side-by-side with other men and women of great renown, was Master Noah.

"How did you get this?" Ursula asked Izetta, thunderstruck.

"Crawford," said Izetta, leering at the picture with as much spite as she could muster, looking like she was trying to burn it with her gaze. "When he came to inspect Dol Guldur last year, she gave me his paper. And there was Amon, on the front page…standing with Croix…. I knew it was him at once…his face had been burned into my memory for thirteen years. And in the caption, Croix made a statement that he was joining Luna Nova this year…. I finally knew where to find him…."

Akko remembered what Blair had told Professor Holbrooke. "The guards told Crawford that Izetta's been talking in her sleep for a while now. Always the same words: _'Must get to Luna Nova…Must get to Luna nova_.'"

"Of course, the hard part was finding a way into the school to reach him. After I broke out of Dol Guldur, I knew the Magic Council would be sending the Heartless after me – those bunch of old windbags are too cowardly to get their own hands dirty, especially when the person they're trying to capture has information about their involvement in my sister's group. That bit of blackmail helped me out for the longest time; ringed up Crawford a few times to make sure that he was keeping his men away. But I still needed a way to break into Luna Nova undetected. That's when I remembered my niece, Akko. I knew that my sister had left her with the Kagaris and that she would have been the right age to be attending school. So I made my way to Japan. Unfortunately, I found her in a less than ideal position; she had turned her aunt into a hippo – "

Sucy suddenly snorted, drawing everyone's eye as she covered her mouth with her hand.

"Sorry, sorry," Sucy apologized, snickering. "That's never not going to be funny."

"That's when you found me in Nabeshima Shoto Park," said Akko, spinning around to Izetta. "You scared the crap out of me!"

"Yeah, I'll admit, I didn't exactly look my best," said Izetta, scratching her cheek shyly. "But can you blame me? I've been imprisoned in a dark, desolate fortress in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by Heartless twenty-four-seven, and the food sucked. So yeah, I looked a little creepy back then. But that's not the point. The point was that my niece was lost in the middle of nowhere, possibly on the run from the Magic Council. I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. So while you were resting up, I sent an anonymous call via magical transmission to the nearest law enforcement group hoping they would take you back home where you belonged. But once again, I had the worst luck, because the people who got the message were those Space Patrol idiots."

"You're the one that called Luluco?" said Akko.

"I told them that Izetta had been spotted where you were," said Izetta, "and I even showed myself to you to make it more urgent. I just didn't expect you to take a space ship all the way to Finland like that. I had a hell of a time trying to keep up with you using a park bench as a medium for the flight spell. I stuck around while you were in Finland, watching out for your even though I didn't really need to – no place was safer than around Professor Holbrooke. And the night before your all went shopping for your school supplies, I was sitting outside watching you – "

"Creeper much?" said Wendy, her brow raised.

"Hey, I'm a concerned aunt! Sue me!" Izetta snapped. "Anyway, I overheard Lotte talking with Professor Holbrooke about how she was hoping to purchase a familiar when I saw my chance to get into the school. I quickly made my way over to London where I used the animal metamorphosis spell to turn myself into a fox and waited at the shop until Akko and Lotte came by."

"I thought you became Mikko to protect me?" said Lotte.

"I did; I couldn't just walk around the school in my normal form, now could I?" said Izetta. "Although, being in a constant state of transformation would have negative side effects if used for prolonged periods of time. I needed to become human once a week or the spell would become permanent. And one of those times happily coincided with the school's Blytonbury weekend, when most of the students and teachers were away from the castle. I thought it was the perfect moment to attack Amon. I managed to catch him off-guard with my sudden appearance and knocked him out before he had a chance to use his bloodbending abilities on my again, but that's when you kids happened be walking by and I was forced to retreat. Thanks for that, by the way."

"You're seriously going to blame us for that?" Akko scoffed.

"Ever since then, Amon had been careful not to be alone in the castle again," said Izetta. "He had started taking several leaves of absences on the grounds that it was for personal reasons. I couldn't very well go chasing after him while I was pretending to be Lotte's pet; my own disappearance would make it look highly suspicious. But very luckily, I didn't have to. C – Ursula already knew who I was, so I confronted her about everything I learned and I managed to convince her to follow Amon while he was away from the castle."

"That explains why she and Master Noah were always gone at the same time," said Akko, sounding relieved as she wiped the imaginary sweat from her brow. "Phew, that's a load off. I was worried Professor Ursula was cheating on Professor Croix."

"AKKO!" Ursula shrieked, her face red with embarrassment; Izetta snickered behind her.

"Er – Miss Du Nord – Izetta?" said Diana.

Izetta jumped at being addressed like this and stared at Diana as though she had never seen anything quite like her.

"If you don't mind me asking, how – how did you get out of Dol Guldur? You couldn't have used magic because the Heartless would have drained you of your power, so it's highly unlikely that your transformed into an animal to escape. And even if you did, you wouldn't have been able to make it very far – Dol Guldur is surrounded by thousands of miles of wasteland."

Izetta was frowning slightly at Diana, but not as though she were annoyed with her. She seemed to be pondering her answer.

"Sometimes I wonder that myself," she said slowly. "I think the only reason why I never lost my mind is because of my conviction of my innocence and my desire for revenge. The Heartless feed on the light, but those were feelings of darkness, so they couldn't suck it out of me…but it kept me sane and knowing who I am…helped me keep what little magical power I had…they must have thought that the darkness in my heart was from them and that I was slowly being consumed by it, so they didn't bother me. But I was weak, very weak, not enough power to drive them away or to cast a simple flight spell…I was lacking a drive, a reason to move forward….

"But then I saw Amon in that picture…I realized he was at Luna Nova…perfectly positioned to attack us from the inside, ready to strike at the moment when he could be sure that he had allies…and to finish what he started thirteen years ago….

"So you see, I had to do something. I was the only one who knew of Amon's true face and his betrayal…. It was as if someone had lit a fire in my head, and the Heartless couldn't destroy it…. It wasn't a feeling of light…it was the darkness of a vengeful obsession…but it gave me strength, it cleared my mind. So, one night, when the Heartless were making their shifts, I stuck my fingers down my throat and forced myself to vomit – "

"Okay, we didn't need to know that," said Wendy disgusted; Sucy, on the other hand, looked starry-eyed. "Why would you purposely throw up in the middle of a prison."

"Thirteen years ago, after our fight at the Grand Triskellion, Chariot had distributed the Seven Stars of Arcturus among those who were still loyal to our cause," said Izetta. "She had given me the Star of Space. I still had it with me when Amon bloodbended me and forced me to destroy Zurich. Before the Rune Knights showed up, I swallowed the Star of Space and kept it hidden in my stomach for thirteen years…using the toilet has been a very painful and awkward affair ever since then. That's why I forced myself to get it out – again, it wasn't pleasant. Since I was its guardian, I obviously knew what the Word was. When the Heartless lost their attention on me, I used what little magical energy I had left to activate the Star of Space for the first time in over a decade. It had the power to instantly transport a person across space, so I envisioned myself back me and Chariot's old home in Annecy, France. I spent a few days regaining my strength before I set off for Akko in Japan."

"Wait…so this is…," said Akko, awkwardly pointing to the gem in the Shiny Rod. "EW! EW! EW! THAT'S SO GROSS!"

"So Blair was right!" said Diana, looking expectantly at Akko. "You see! Blair had a good reason for not wanting you to ride the Shiny Balai if she knew Izetta sent it!"

"Yeah, but she didn't curse it, did she?" said Akko.

"But Blair didn't know that Izetta wasn't the traitor," retorted Diana. "She was just concerned for you."

"It kind of also explains how Akko could only use the Shiny Balai when Mikko was around," Lotte added pointedly. "Since Izetta was the Shiny Balai's guardian, she obviously knew what the Word was."

"I went to watch all of your matches, Akko," said Izetta with a hint of pride in her voice. "You looked just like your mom...well, she was a little more graceful than you, but you were headstrong and determined just like her. I know, that wherever she is, she is very proud of you…."

She walked across the room until she was standing in front of Akko and lowered herself to there they could look each other in the eye. Akko did not flinch or look away.

"Akko…I know you don't have any reason to believe anything I say," she croaked. "But you have to know that I would never betray Chariot. I would have died before I let anything happen to her, or you and Lotte. You are all my precious family. Please, believe me."

Everything she just learned was a lot to swallow, but at the same time, she could see the sincerity in Izetta's – no, in her aunt's eyes. She knew, because they were the same eyes as her.

"I believe you," Akko said in a small voice.

"My, my, isn't this touching," said a voice that didn't belong to any of them.

Akko froze up at the sudden intrusion – quite literally, she might add. Without a hint of warning, her entire body suddenly seized up; her arms were pinned to her side, her legs locked into place, and her spine stiffened straight. It felt there were pins and needles underneath her skin; her blood boiling as if someone had lit a fire inside her veins. Every muscle in her body tensed up so that she couldn't even move her little finger. Akko gritted her teeth as she endured a pain unlike anything she had ever felt before, and judging from what she heard all around her, she wasn't the only one. Everyone from Wendy and Sucy to Ursula and Izetta were tensing up one after the other, all of them wearing the same painful expression as her own.

"No…," Izetta grunted with effort. "It…can't be…."

All of a sudden, Akko's muscles contracted against her own violation, raising her arm over her head and throwing her wand toward the stairway. Everyone else in the room repeated the motion at the same time. A gloved hand suddenly shot up from beneath the railing, snatching all of the wands out of the air at once. A moment later, a man slowly walked up the remaining steps, his free hand held up in their direction with his fingers curled halfway forming a fist.

He was a tall and slender man standing at least a head and shoulders taller than Akko and a few inches over Ursula. Beyond that, his entire appearance was concealed behind a bronze facial masked with a large red circle on his forehead, nearly his entire body covered by a dark-grey, steampunk-like trench coat with the hood thrown over his head. Stepping into the middle of the room, the masked man looked around at them all; no one could tell where he was looking or what sort of expression he was making.

"Well, hello, Amon," said Ursula with a would-be pleasant tone, which didn't match the painful grimace on her lips. "Long time, no see."

"Ah, Ursula…and little Izetta, too," said Amon. His voice was a calm baritone that gave the air of a man in control. "My old friends. It's a pleasure to see you both again."

Izetta growled and looked ready to jump him, but Amon twisted his hand and she suddenly dropped to her knees; she bit her lip to hold back a painful scream; Akko could see the veins bulging in her neck. After a few seconds of this, Amon unclenched his hand slightly and Izetta leaned forward slightly, panting heavily like she had just run a marathon.

"I wouldn't make any sudden moves, Izetta," said Amon, his voice light and casual. "One twitch of the finger and a could pop several blood vessels to the brain. Believe me, it would not be a pretty sight."

"Let's be reasonable about this," said Diana, her breathing fast and shallow. "You don't have to do this, Master Noah."

"Ah, Master Noah…," said Amon with a light chuckle. He tucked the wands to his belt and reached inside his pocket, pulling out what looked like a latex mask. What the mask was made Diana gasp: it was Master Noah's face. "Yes, that identity had served me well these past thirteen years, but I don't need it anymore," he said, throwing the mask aside.

"I should have known it wouldn't be that easy," said Ursula, frowning. "We were actually just talking about you, Amon, about the night when you betrayed our group. I'm not sure how much you heard – "

"Oh, I heard plenty, thanks to Professor Finnelan over there," said Amon, gesturing his head to the unconscious teacher. "I was in my office when I saw the dear old professor running across the grounds like a madwoman. I had my suspicions as to why, which is why I thought it was time to discard the Master Noah persona. I arrived just in time to hear your recollection of the events at the Grand Triskellion. I must say, Izetta, I never gave your enough credit. I had spent _years_ searching for the Star of Space after you were sent to Dol Guldur, but to think you had it with you the whole time during your imprisonment? You truly are a prodigy."

"You better hope not, because when I get out of this – GAH!" Amon twisted his hand again.

"Amon, wait!" said Ursula, gasping. "Just wait. Before you kill any of us, I still have a few questions I'd like to ask – "

"Kill you all?" Amon repeated, turning to Ursula as if she had just grown a second head. "I don't want to kill you all; far from it. Least of all, Miss Kagari. She's special."

"Because I'm the Star-Born Child?" said Akko.

"Yes and no," said Amon airily. "There are bigger things going on that you're not aware off, Miss Kagari. And I need you alive long enough to see it through."

"Is that why you betrayed us at the Grand Triskellion?" said Ursula, leering at him. "Because you needed Akko for some grand master plan you cooked up."

"Again, yes and no," said Amon. "As I said, there are bigger things going on than you are aware of. But don't bother trying to trick the information out of me. I confess that I do not know the whole story myself – I am merely carrying out my assignment."

"All right, then answer this one," said Sucy suddenly. "Why the whole Master Noah cover up? Why spend thirteen years trying to pretend to be someone else."

"As far as anyone knows, Amon has no face or identity, and I intend to keep it that way," said Amon with a hint of pride in his voice. "From my experience with Chariot's group, I knew someone would use Charlotte Jansson's special brand of tracking magic to hunt me down, so I created a false persona that would help throw anyone off the trail once I finally discarded it now that Charlotte is no longer an issue. As Master Noah, I could go places that Amon would never be able to reach, including Luna Nova Academy."

"You've been manipulating people on both side of the board, haven't you?" spat Izetta. "First it was Chariot, then it was your followers, and then the Magic Council, and even Professor Holbrooke and the school staff. Everyone is just someone to be used in your little game of chess. The thing about that is, Amon, is that people don't like being used. I've heard things in Dol Guldur, Amon…. Everyone that was in your coup attempt was sentenced there…. I've heard them screaming all sorts of things in their sleep. Sounds like the double-crosser double-crossed them. They all betrayed Chariot because you promised them a second chance when the new world was born…and then they were arrested while you made a clean get away. And not all of your supporters ended up in Dol Guldur, did they? There are still plenty out here, biding their time, pretending they've seen the error of their ways…. If they ever got wind that you were still around, Amon – "

Izetta was cut off when Amon suddenly started laughing; she looked like she had just been slapped across the face as the masked man turned on her.

"You think I'm worried about a few pawns," said Amon amusingly. "Everyone that went to Dol Guldur was sent there because I _wanted_ them to be arrested. All of those unworthy souls. They were easily seduced by the idea of money and power when the New Golden Age of Magic came about. Disgusting creatures. They didn't deserve what I had to offer. No, I chose my real friends carefully, Izetta. All those who got away were because we worked together to escape that night. Cinder Fall, Ruvik, and such – they were my real allies. And even now, they're waiting for me to return, ready to continue our noble work. So in case you were wondering, Izetta, I am not afraid."

Amon raised his hand higher and forced Izetta up to her feet. He raised his hand again and this time he lifted her off the ground, her toes dangling inches off the floor. With his other hand, he forced everyone else in the room into doing the same; Akko felt a horrible sensation around her throat as if she was being choked. He brought his hands together and dragged them all close into a neat line in front of the bed, Akko bumping shoulders with Wendy and Ursula.

"You – you said – you weren't going – to kill us," wheezed Ursula, gasping out a hacking cough.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm not," said Amon. "But first, we need to get our stories straight for when we heroically return to the castle after capturing the nefarious Izetta Du Nord."

"Well, bad news for you," sneered Izetta. "Because once we head back up, we'll tell everyone the truth."

"The truth? Which truth?" said Amon. "You mean the truth about how the deranged criminal Izetta Du Nord conspired with her old friend, Ursula Callistis, to trick Miss Kagari and her friends into leaving the safety of the school in order to kill her for ruining their plans on betraying Chariot thirteen years ago? Or how they used their magic to mentally control the students into attacking Professor Finnelan after she so valiantly tried to rescue them? Is that the truth you're hoping for?"

"You bastard…," growled Izetta.

"Don't worry, Izetta, you won't be going back to Dol Guldur," said Amon. "The Heartless will take care of you right away, so you won't have to go through that again. Now, shall we go…."

He started walking over the to staircase, dragging all of them across the air after him. Akko naturally flailed in her place, trying to _will_ herself into breaking free, but Amon's bloodbending was too powerful. Amon reached the top step of the stairs when he suddenly stopped, and after Akko stopped struggling, she could see why.

The air in the room somehow seemed thinner than it had been a second ago, making Akko feel a little lightheaded on top of having her blood bended. She heard a loud sucking noise coming from the side and turned her head towards Wendy. The tiny girl was taking a huge gasp of air like a vacuum, her tiny chest expanding three times in size as if she were a balloon. Amon looked at her in curiosity but he let out a gasp in realization and tried to wave his hand again, but Wendy lurched forward and yelled, in a voice like a raging whirlwind, " _ **SKY DRAGON ROAR!**_ "

What could only be described as a miniaturized tornado spilled over Wendy's lips and blew across the room, hitting Amon squarely in the chest, raising him off the ground and slamming him into the wall with enough force to leave a deep impression in the wood. The effects of the bloodbending immediately wore off and everyone dropped to the floor on their knees; Akko's hands were shaking uncontrollably; she could hear Lotte breathing in heavy, shuddering gasps.

Amon pried himself from the wall and fell forward on his hands and knees, grunting in discomfort and rolling his right shoulder. Before he had a chance to recover, Ursula crossed the room in two strides and swing her foot around to deck him across the face, tossing him flat on his back. Izetta quickly stepped forward to join her while he was down and pinned one of his arms while Ursula held the other.

"Let's see you use your Bloodbending now, Amon," said Izetta, and the ghost of a grin flittered across her face. "Shall we kill him together?"

"Yes, I think so," said Ursula grimly.

"That was unexpected, wasn't it?" said Amon tranquilly. "I should have expected as much. I've been spending many months teaching her, it's my own fault for not anticipating her Dragon Slayer Magic."

"You sound oddly calm for someone who is about to die," said Ursula, leering down suspiciously.

"Not everyone fears death, Ursula," said Amon with a hint of amusement tinging his voice. "Some of us accept it eagerly. But my time is not now. You will not kill me."

"And why the hell not?" spat Izetta.

"Because of her," said Amon, and he turned his head so that he was looking at Akko. "Miss Kagari…you are so much like your mother…whether it's your eyes or your heart…."

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO AKKO?" roared Izetta. "HOW DARE YOU FACE HER? HOW DARE YOU MENTION MY SISTER'S NAME IN FRONT OF HER?"

"Miss Kagari," said Amonh coolly, purposely ignoring the fury of the woman sitting on top of him. "You have so many reasons to be angry, and I know that deep down you want to kill me, but you won't let it happen. I know you had the chance to kill Izetta before I arrived, but you didn't take it. Why? Because you have a good heart. No matter how angry or hurt you get, you could never bring yourself to let anyone die, not even those who deserve it."

Izetta grabbed Amon by the mask, forced him to look up at her, and threw her fist across it. Remarkably, the mask didn't move, and the only evidence of anything that had happened as the small dent in the metal cheek and the flaring-red skin on Izetta's knuckles.

"You took advantage of my sister," said Izetta, who was shaking with fury. "You took advantage of her kindness and you betrayed her. Do you deny it?"

"Not at all," said Amon casually. "But it didn't do it for my own selfish gain. I was merely following the instructions left behind by another."

"So you were just someone else's lackey," snarled Izetta. "You didn't just betray us; you sold us out!"

"Who were you working for?" asked Ursula.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you," said Amon. "But you must understand that I wasn't acting out of selfish purposes like those I had managed to persuade into joining my coup. The person I serve has a glorious vision. A world of true equality; a place where peace is not a pipe dream. Do I feel guilty for betraying the people who took me in and accepted me? Yes. Do I regret what I did? No. Because I knew that my actions were for the benefit of the world. And if creating a world where peace can become reality means I have to become the villain of the story, then I will gladly accept my role."

"Now you're just talking like a lunatic," said Izetta scathingly. "Betraying others for the sake of world peace? Do you even comprehend just how ridiculous that sounds? Whoever shoved that garbage down your throat obviously had a few screws loose themselves."

Ursula and Izetta reached over Amon, picking up the wands he had dropped when he had been hit by Wendy's spell.

"I'm sure in your head that you thought you were doing the right thing," said Ursula quietly, "but you should have realized that we would have killed you before we let it happen. Good bye, Amon."

Lotte covered her face with her hands and turned to the wall.

"NO!" Akko yelled. She ran forward, inserting herself between Ursula and Izeta and pushed their arms away just as their wands started to spark. "You can't kill him," she said breathlessly. "You can't."

Ursula and Izetta both looked staggered; Amon chuckled.

"I knew it," he said in a superior tone of voice.

"Akko, this piece of filth is the reason you grew up without your family," Izetta snarled. "This diseased waste of human skin would have seen you die without turning a hair. You heard him. He didn't care that he was betraying others for himself. He's proud of it!"

"I know," Akko panted. "But if you kill him, then we lose the only proof that Izetta is innocent. We'll take him up to the castle. We'll hand him over to the Heartless…. He can go to Dol Guldur…but don't kill him."

"Such a good girl," said Amon, chuckling amusingly as he raised his head to look at her. "Despite all the loss you have suffered, your heart is still as innocent and pure as the day you were born."

"Shut up," Akko spat. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it because – I don't think my mom would've wanted them to become killers – just for you."

"Oh, if only you understood the irony…," said Amon humorously.

No one moved or made a sound. Ursula and Izetta were looking at each other. Then, with one movement, they lowered their wands.

"You're the only person who has the right to decide, Akko," said Izetta. "But think…think what he did…."

"He can go to Dol Guldur," Akko repeated. "If anyone deserves that place, he does…."

"Very well," said Ursula. "Please move out of the way, Akko."

Akko hesitated.

"I'm going to tie him up so he can't use his bloodbending," said Ursula. "That's all, I swear."

Akko slipped back out of the way. Ursula and Izetta stood up. Thin cords shot from Ursula's wand this time, and the next moment, Amon's arms were bound behind his back.

"But if you even think about running away, Amon," growled Izetta, pointing Professor Finnelan's wand at Amon too, "we _will_ kill you. You agree, Akko?"

Akko looked down at the masked manipulator on the floor and nodded so that Amon could see her.

"Right," said Ursula, suddenly businesslike. "Diana, I don't suppose you can use some of your family's white magic to mend Miss Marvell's arm."

"After Amon just bloodbended us, I don't want to take any chances of anyone other than Porlyusica checking it out," said Diana. "So I think it's best if we just wrap her arm in a sling until we can get her to the hospital wing."

Nodding in agreement, Ursula hurried over to Wendy, bent down, and tapped her arm with her wand while muttering a spell. Bandages spun around Wendy's arm, swinging around her neck to fashion a crude sling.

"That's better," she said. "Thanks."

"What about Professor Finnelan?" said Sucy monotonously, looking down at Finnelan's prone figure.

"There's nothing seriously wrong with her," said Ursula, bending over Professor Finnelan and checking her pulse. "You were just a little – overenthusiastic. Still out cold. Er – perhaps it will be best if we don't revive her until we're safely back in the castle. We can take her like this…."

She muttered a quick spell. As though invisible strings were tied to Finnelan's wrists, neck, and knees, she was pulled into a standing position, head still lolling unpleasantly, like a grotesque puppet. She hung a few inches above the ground, her limp feet dangling. Akko wondered if she looked like that when Amon was controlling her. Ursula picked up the Ring of Gyges and tucked it safely into her pocket.

"And two of us should be chained to this," said Izetta, nudging Amon with her toe. "Just to make sure."

"I'll do it," said Ursula.

"And me," said Lotte savagely

Amon did not put up a struggle as Izetta conjured heavy shackles from thin air; soon Amon was standing again, his left leg chains to Ursula's right, right leg to Lotte's left. Lotte's face was set. Now that she knew who was truly responsible for killing her parents and for framing Izetta, this had become a personal mission. And together, they led the way out of the room.

* * *

 **Next Chapter: The Heart of Darkness**


	20. The Heart of Darkness

**Akko Kagari and the White Witch**

 **Chapter Twenty: The Heart of Darkness**

Akko had always been associated with the freaks and weirdos of Luna Nova, so this was no different. Ursula, Amon, and Lotte led the way down the stairs, looking like entrants in a six-legged race. Wendy and Sucy went next, the former cradling her arm carefully. Next came Professor Finnelan, drifting creepily along, her toes hitting each stair as they descended, held by her own wand, which was being pointed at by Izetta. Akko and Diana brought up the rear.

Once they were through the Ley Line portal, getting back into the tunnel was difficult. Ursula, Amon, and Lotte had to turn sideways to manage it; Ursula still had Amon covered with her wand. Akko could see them edging awkwardly along the tunnel in single file. Akko went right after Izetta, who was still making Finnelan drift along ahead of them; she kept bumping her head on the low ceiling. Akko had the impression Izetta was making no effort to prevent this; guess she was still mad about what happened back at the room.

"You know what this means?" Izetta said abruptly to Akko as they made their slow progress along the tunnel. "Turning Amon in?"

"You're free," said Akko.

"Yes…," said Izetta. "But I'm also – since I'm not going to be in prison anymore – that means we can be together. You know, since I'm your aunt – and I promised Chariot I'd take care of you if anything happened to her – "

Akko waited. Did Izetta mean what she thought she meant?

"And I was just thinking…well…once my name has been cleared…if you wanted a…a different home…maybe you'd like to stay…with me…?"

"You want me to come live with you?" said Akko. "For real?"

"It's just something I hoped you would consider," said Izetta. "Of course, I'd have to find a place to live, first. I doubt my old apartment is still there after thirteen years. But once I find a place to stay, maybe you'd like to share it with me?"

Akko spun around to consider her for a moment, accidentally cracking her head on a bit of rock protruding from the ceiling. The idea of living with her aunt, her possibly only living relative, seemed very tempting and Akko almost jumped at the chance to accept it. But then a thought came to her – two thoughts really – and she lowered her gaze to the floor with a sad smile.

"Sorry, but I can't do that," said Akko apologetically. "I mean, that'd be awesome, living with you, but I can't just leave my parents. They've taken care of me my whole life. It'd seem like a bad way to repay them."

"No, no, I totally understand," said Izetta, rubbing her neck in a sheepish way; Finnelan's head was scraping the ceiling but she didn't seem to notice.

"But I wouldn't mind if you came around once in a while," said Akko quickly. "You know, like for birthdays and such."

"You're birthday's still on June 25th, right?" said Izetta.

"It is? I never knew that," said Akko. "Chariot left me with my mom and dad without telling them much. We just kinda guessed."

"Well, I remember it because it happened near the summer solstice," said Izetta. "I know that because Chariot was complaining about how the day was dragging on forever when she went into labor. But, yeah, I guess I wouldn't mind dropping by occasionally. I always wanted to be the cool aunt."

Izetta's gaunt face broke into the first true smile Akko had seen upon it. The difference it made was startling, as though a person ten years younger were shining through; for a moment, she was recognizable as the girl who had been grinning side-by-side with Chariot and her friends in school.

They did not speak again until they had reached the end of the tunnel. Ursula, Amon, and Lotte had to press themselves awkwardly against the tunnel to let Sucy and Wendy through first; Sucy had evidently put Gora-chan to sleep, because Ursula, Amon, and Lotte clambered upward without any sound of savaging vines.

Izetta saw Finnelan up through the hole, then stood back for Akko and Diana to pass. At last, all of them were out.

The grounds were very dark now; the only light came from the distant windows of the castle. Without a word, they set off. Amon was unnaturally calm through the whole thing. Akko's mind was buzzing. In just a few minutes, Izetta was going to be set free. She was going to have her mother's sister back in her life after being separated for so long…. She felt dazed…. What would happen when she told her parents that her aunt was the escaped convict they'd seen on the news?

"One wrong move, Amon," said Ursula threateningly ahead. Her wand was still pointed sideways at Amon's chest.

"You can threaten me all you like," said Amon coolly, "but it's not going to change anything. If you think you have won, you are in for a rude awakening."

"There's no point in posturing now," said Ursula. "There's no way you can escape."

"I wonder about that," said Amon, tilting his head back to look at the sky. "Ah, it looks like we have a full moon tonight…."

Just as he said that, the clouds shifted out of the way. There were suddenly dim shadows on the ground. Their party bathed in moonlight.

"Did you know that the first waterbenders learned by watching the moon push and pull the tides of the ocean?" said Amon casually. "They say that a waterbending reaches the peak of their strength under the full moon. There was also a time when waterbenders could only perform bloodbending under the full moon, but we have since evolved beyond that limitation, as you already know."

"You won't be using any bloodbending tonight," said Izetta. "Not with your arms bound like that."

"Oh, you poor, naïve woman?" said Amon amusingly. "How little you understand…."

It happened without warning. Professor Finnelan collided with Ursula, Amon, and Lotte, who had stopped abruptly. Izetta froze. She flung out one arm to make Akko and the other girls stop.

Akko could see Ursula's silhouette. She had gone rigid. Then her limbs shakily rose and a sudden flash of light flared up followed by the sound of clattering metal. Amon's bonds had been broken.

"He's bloodbending!" Diana gasped. "But how? He didn't move his arms!"

"It's a special technique that my father had developed," said Amon, turning around to face them while Lotte and Ursula remained frozen in place. "The ability of psychic bloodbending where one can manipulate another living creature using only their minds. I always had the ability, but I could only perform it on one person at a time. Fortunately, tonight is a full moon – "

"You set us up," Izetta growled. "I thought your capture was too easy."

"You honestly didn't believe I would have confronted you without a back up plan, did you?" Amon chuckled.

"Run," Izetta whispered to the girls. "Run. Now."

Akko couldn't run. Lotte and Ursula were being bloodbended by Amon. She leapt forward but Izetta caught her around the chest and threw her back.

"Leave it to me – RUN!"

As Amon causally waved his hands to the side and threw Ursula and Lotte across the grounds, Izetta disappeared from Akko's side. In the blink of an eye, she had closed the distance between them, her hand aglow with red energy. She jabbed her palm at his head, but the masked man leaned back to deftly dodge the blow and raised his foot for a heavy kick at her sides. Izetta was sent flying across the grass, but she quickly rolled back to her feet and made a mad dash at Amon again with her legs shimmering with the same energy. She threw kick after kick with the shockwaves vibrating through the air like miniature explosions, but Amon skillfully dodged each attack, whether simply ducking his head or slapping her foot away –

Akko stood, transfixed by the sight, too intent upon the battle to notice anything else. It was Wendy's scream that alerted her –

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

Diana tackled Akko to the ground as a sudden gust of wind ripped through the air where she once stood; Sucy was less fortunate; she was hit squarely in the chest, sending her flying all the way to the edge of the school courtyard where she lay unmoving.

Akko and Diana rolled up to their knees. Wendy was standing stock still looking like she had been frozen into place, her limbs fidgeting slightly as if she was fighting the urge to move.

"Amon is bloodbending her!" Diana yelled. "He's trying to distract us from helping!"

"I – can't – control myself!" Wendy cried. "You gotta – move!"

She swiped her arm across the air and a gust of powerful wind blew their way. Diana whipped out her wand faster than the eye could see and wordlessly produced a barrier around them; the wind swirled harmlessly around them like a flowing river. As Wendy started bringing her arm up for another swing, Diana dropped the barrier and jabbed her wand at her.

"I'm really, really sorry about this!" Diana yelled.

She cast another silent spell and a red spark shot from the tip of her wand with a loud **_bang,_** striking Wendy between the eyes. She flopped backward on the grass and didn't get back up.

"That coward, using an innocent girl as a shield," Diana seethed, helping Akko stand. "Despicable."

"Where's Izetta and Amon?" asked Akko.

As if answering her question, a great explosion went off on the slope; Akko turned to see Amon leaping from the dust cloud; he bound towards the Arcturus Forest and disappeared into the shadows –

"Izetta, Amon's getting away, we have to catch him!" Akko yelled.

Izetta was bleeding; there were gashes across her face and chest, but at Akko's words she scrambled up again, and in an instant, the sound of his footsteps faded to silence as she pounded away across the grounds.

Akko dashed over to Lotte and Diana to Ursula.

"What did he do to them?" Akko whispered. Lotte' eyes were only half-closed, her mouth hung open; she was definitely alive, she could hear her breathing, but she didn't seem to recognize her.

"It's like what he did to Blair…," said Diana.

Akko looked desperately around. Sucy and Wendy were down for the count and Izetta was gone…they had no one but Professor Finnelan for company, still hanging, unconscious, in midair.

"We'd better get them up to the castle and tell someone," said Diana, pushing her hair out of her eyes, trying to think straight. "Come – "

But then, from beyond the range of their vision, they heard a strangled cry of pain….

"Izetta," Akko muttered, staring into the darkness.

She had a moment's indecision, but there was nothing they could do for Lotte and the others at the moment, and by the sound of it, Izetta was in trouble –

Akko set off at a run, Diana right behind her. The shouts seemed to be coming from the ground near the edge of the lake. They pelted toward it, and Akko, running flat out, felt the cold without realizing what it must mean –

The yells stopped abruptly. As they reached the lake shore, they saw why – Izetta was crouched on all fours near the edge of the water, her hands over her head.

" _Nooo,_ " she moaned. " _Nooooo…please…_."

And then Akko saw them. Heartless, at least a hundred of them, walking on the glassy surface of the lake without disturbing the water beneath their feet. She spun around, the familiar, icy cold penetrating her heart, fog starting to obscure her vision; more were appearing out of the darkness on every side; they were encircling them….

"Diana, think of something happy!" Akko yelled, raising her wand, blinking furiously to try and clear her vision, shaking her head to rid it of the faint voices that had started inside it –

 _I'm going to set my aunt free. We're going to be a family again._

She forced herself to think of Izetta, and only Izetta, and began to chant: " ** _Lumen Murowa! Lumen Murowa!_** "

Izetta gave a shudder, rolled over, and lay motionless on the ground, pale as death.

 _She'll be all right. We're going to be together. We're going to be a family._

" ** _Lumen_** ** _Murowa!_** Diana, help me! **_Lumen Murowa!_** "

" ** _Lum –_** " Diana whispered, " ** _Lum – Lum –_** "

But she couldn't do it. The Heartless were closing in, barely ten feet from them. They formed a solid wall around Akko and Diana, and were getting closer….

" _ **LUMEN M**_ ** _UROWA!_** " Akko yelled, trying to blot the voices from her ears. " _ **LUMEN**_ **_MUROWA!_** "

Only tiny flecks of the white energy the size of quarters shot from the tip of her wand. At the same moment, Akko felt Diana collapse next to her. She was alone…completely alone….

" ** _Lu – Lumen Murowa_** – "

Akko felt her knees hit the cold grass. Fog was clouding her eyes. With a huge effort, she fought to remember – Izetta was innocent – innocent – _We'll be okay – We're going to be a family again –_

" ** _Lumen Murowa!_** " she gasped.

By the feeble light her miniscule spell, she saw a Heartless halt, very close to her. The weak flecks of light seemed to singe its pitch-black skin. But it waved its hand ever so casually and swept the light aside.

"No – _no_ – " Akko gasped. "She's innocent… ** _Lume - Lumen murowa –_** "

She could feel them watching her, hear their rattling breath like an evil wind around her. The nearest Heartless seemed to be considering her. Then it raised one of its clawed hands – and plunged it into Akko's chest.

The Heartless' hand passed through her clothes and skin like it was made of smoke. She could feel the monster's claw squirming around inside her chest. A paralyzing terror filled Akko so that she couldn't move or speak. Her wand fell uselessly from her hand.

White fog was blinding her. She had to fight… _Lumen murowa_ …she couldn't see…and in the distance, she heard the familiar flood of chattering voices of distant pasts… _Lumen murowa…_ she groped in the mist for Izetta, and found her arm…they weren't going to take her….

And then she felt the hand in her chest lurch, their claws curling around something- something important. They had found her heart…she could feel it twisting around inside her…. It was going to get rid of her first…. Her mother's voice was in her ears…. She was going to be the last thing she ever heard –

And then, through the fog that was drowning her, she thought she saw a silvery-white light growing brighter and brighter…. She felt herself falling forward onto the grass…. Facedown, too weak to move, sick and shaking. Akko opened her eyes. The Heartless must have released her. The blinding light was illuminating the grass around her…. The voices had stopped, the cold was ebbing away….

Something was driving the Heartless away…. It was circling around her and Izetta and Diana…. They were leaving…. The air was warm again….

With every ounce of strength she could muster, Akko raised her head a few inches and saw someone amid the light…it was a broom, and someone was flying it, soaring away across the lake…. Eyes blurred with sweat, Akko tried to make out who it was…. Fighting to stay conscious, Akko watched them drop down as they reached the opposite shore. For a moment, Akko saw, by the brightness of the light, someone who looked strangely familiar…. It looked like…but no, it couldn't be…

Akko didn't understand. She couldn't think anymore. She felt the last of her strength leave her, and her head hit the ground as she fainted.

* * *

 **Next Chapter: Sybilladura Lelladybura**


	21. Sybilladura Lelladybura

**Akko Kagari and the White Witch**

 **Chapter Twenty-One: Sybilladura Lelladybura**

"Shocking business…shocking…miracle none of them died…never heard the like…by Woodward, it was lucky you were there, Finnelan…."

"Thank you, Chairman."

"Order of Morgan, Second Class, I'd say. First Class, if I can wangle it!"

"You may keep your commendations, Chairman. All I care about is seeing a criminal brought to justice."

"That is quite a nasty cut you've got there…. Izetta's work, I suppose?"

"As a matter of fact, it was Miss Kagari, Manbavaran, Jansson, and, I'm afraid to say, Miss Cavendish as well…."

" _No!_ "

"Izetta had bewitched them, I saw it immediately. A mental takeover spell, to judge by their behavior. They seemed to think there was a possibility she was innocent. They weren't responsible for their actions. On the other hands, their interference might have permitted Izetta to escape…. They obviously though they were going to catch Izetta single-handed. They've got away with a great deal before now…. I'm afraid it's given them a rather high opinion of themselves…and of course Miss Kagari has always been allowed an extraordinary amount of license by the headmistress – "

"Ah, well, Finnelan…Atsuko Kagari, you know…we've all got a bit of a blind spot where she's concerned."

"And yet – is it good for her to be given so much special treatment? If you turn a blind eye to all of her troublemaking, she will grow up viewing herself as more than what she really is. It's because of a lack of discipline that she gets into so much trouble in the first place. Even knowing what she is, I will treat her no differently. If a student commits any wrongdoing, they shall be punished – no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Consider, Chairman – against all school rules – after all the precautions put in place for her protection – out-of-bounds, at night, consorting with a known mass murderer – and I have reason to believe she had been visiting Blytonbury illegally too – "

"Well, well…we shall see, Finnelan, we shall see…. The girl has undoubtedly been foolish…."

Akko lay listening with her eyes shut tight. She felt very groggy. The words she was hearing seemed to be traveling very slowly from her ears to her brain, so that it was difficult to understand…. Her limbs felt like lead; her eyelids too heavy to lift…. She wanted to lie here, on this comfortable bed, forever….

"What amazes me most is the behavior of the Heartless…you really have no idea what made them retreat, Finnelan?"

"No, Chairman…by the time I had come around they were heading back to their positions at the entrances…."

"Extraordinary. And yet Izetta, and Atsuko, and Diana – "

"All unconscious by the time I reached them. I bound and gagged Izetta, naturally, conjured stretches, and brought them all straight back to the castle."

There was a pause. Akko's brain seemed to be moving a little faster, and as it did, a gnawing sensation grew in the pit of her stomach….

She opened her eyes.

She was lying in the dark hospital wing. At the very end of the ward, she could make out Porlyusica with her back to Akko, bending over a bed. Akko squinted. Wendy's distinct deep-blue hair was visible beneath Porlyusica's arm.

Akko moved her head over on the pillow. Lotte and Sucy lay unconscious in the beds across from her own, right beside Blair's cat bed, and Professor Ursula was equally unmoving in the bed to her right. Akko turned to her left and peeked over to where Diana lay. Moonlight was falling across her bed. Her eyes were open too. She looked petrified, and when she saw that Akko was awake, pressed a finger to her lips, then pointed to the hospital wing door. It was ajar, and the voices of Crawford Seam and Professor Finnelan were coming through it from the corridor outside.

Porlyusica now came walking briskly up the dark ward to Akko's bed. She turned to look at her. She was carrying a tray with a steaming teapot and two cups.

"Well, look who's awake," she said, sounding almost disappointed that Akko wasn't still out cold. She set tray on the table between Akko and Diana's bed and started pouring hot tea into the cups.

"How's everyone?" said Akko immediately.

"They'll live," said Porlyusica grimly. "Jansson and Callistis have some internal wounds like that cat of yours only on a minor scale. Both Manbavaran and Marvell have mild concussions in addition to Marvell's broken arm. As for you two…you'll be staying here until I'm satisfied you're – Kagari, what do you think you are doing?"

Akko was sitting up and picking up her wand.

"I need to see Professor Holbrooke," she said.

"Kagari," said Porlyusica roughly. "lay down before you hurt yourself…then again, you could probably do that lying down. Either way, they've got Izetta. She's locked away upstairs. The Heartless will be performing the Heart of Darkness any moment now – "

"WHAT?"

Akko jumped up out of bed; Diana had done the same. But her shout had been heard in the corridor outside; next second, Crawford Seam and Professor Finnelan had entered the ward.

"Miss Kagari, what is it?" said Crawford, looking agitated. "You should be in bed – has she had any tea?" He asked Porlyusica anxiously.

"Chairman, listen!" Akko said. "Izetta is innocent! Master Noah is the one that did it! Except he's not really Master Noah, but just a name he made up! His real name is Amon! He's a bloodbender! He forced Izetta to kill all those people! We saw him tonight! You can't let the Heartless do that thing to Izetta, she's – "

But Crawford was shaking his head with a small smile on his face.

"Miss Kagari, you're very confused, you've been through a dreadful ordeal, lie back down, now, we've got everything under control…."

"NO, YOU DON'T!" Akko yelled. "YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG PERSON!"

"Mr. Chairman, listen, if you please," Diana said; she had hurried to Akko's side and was gazing imploringly into Crawford's face. "I saw him too. Master Noah was a false identity perpetrated by a dangerous bloodbender named Amon. He was a member of Chariot Du Nord's secret organization – yes, we know all about that, Mr. Chairman" – she added to Crawford's shocked expression – "he was the one behind the attack on Zurich and has been hiding in plain sight – "

"You see, Chairman?" said Professor Finnelan. "Bewitched, both of them…. Izetta has always been rather talented in many aspects, I must admit…."

"We haven't been bewitched!" said Diana urgently. "We are telling you what happened!"

"Except that Master Noah had left the school earlier this morning," said Professor Finnelan. "Today was his last day. He had told the Headmistress that he was retiring from teaching after the exams were over little over a week ago. I personally saw him clearing out his office when I went to collect his exam grades. He was already gone by the time we returned to the castle."

"THAT'S BECAUSE HE WAS OUT THERE AS AMON!" Akko roared.

"Chairman! Professor!" said Porlyusica angrily. "I must insist that you leave! Kagari is my patient, and she should not be distressed!"

"I'm not distressed!" Akko said furiously. "If they'd just listen – "

But Porlyusica suddenly grabbed Akko's bottom lip, pulled it open, and dumped an entire cupful of scolding hot tea down her throat; she choked, and Porlyusica seized the opportunity to force her back onto the bed.

"Now, Chairman, if you would kindly get out, these children are in need of – "

The door opened again. It was Professor Croix. She was looking around the hospital wing and her eyes landed on Akko, who was holding her burning throat. Akko tried to speak with great difficulty as she got up again.

"Professor Croix, Izetta is – "

"That's it! The next person that interrupts me gets a face full of broom!" said Porlyusica hysterically, waving her arm around threateningly. "All of you get out right now – "

"My apologizes, ma'am, but I need a word with Miss Kagari and Miss Cavendish," said Croix calmly. "I've just come back from talking to Izetta with the headmistress – "

"And I suppose she's told you the same fairy tale she's planted in Miss Kagari's mind?" spat Professor Finnelan. "Something about Master Noah secretly moonlighting as a bloodbender named Amon."

"Something along those lines, yes," said Croix, surveying Professor Finnelan closely.

"And I suppose you believe your old schoolmate, don't you?" snarled Professor Finnelan. "Despite the fact that this so-called bloodbended was not in the Tree of Woodward, nor did I see any sign of him on the grounds."

"That was because you were unconscious, Professor!" said Diana earnestly. "You didn't arrive in time to hear – "

"Miss Cavendish, please do not make this worse for yourself."

"Now, Finnelan," said Crawford, "the young lady is disturbed in her mind, we must make allowances – "

"If you two don't mind," said Croix abruptly, "I would like to speak with Miss Kagari and Miss Cavendish – _alone_. Chairman, Professor Finnelan, Porlyusica, can you give us the room?"

"Who do you think you are?" snapped Porlyusica. "Asking me to leave my own ward? You have some – "

"Here's a hundred pounds," said Croix, flashing the note in her hand. "Go buy yourself something pretty."

"Well, when you put it that way," said Porlyusica briskly, snatching the note in the blink of an eye. "You've got ten minutes, no more."

Porlyusica strode away into her office at the end of the ward, slamming the door behind her. Crawford consulted the large gold pocket watch.

"The Heartless should have arrived by now," he said. "I'll go and meet them. Holbrooke should still be up there with the prisoner."

He crossed to the door and held it open for Professor Finnelan, but Finnelan hadn't moved.

"You better not try anything suspicious to rescue your dear old friend, Meridies," Professor Finnelan whispered, her eyes fixed on Croix's face.

"I would like to speak to Miss Kagari and Miss Cavendish alone, Professor," Croix repeated.

Finnelan took a step toward Croix.

"You five have always had each other's backs ever since you were my students," she breathed. "Even now, I get the suspicion that you would do anything to save Izetta…. If only you had shown that sort of compassion towards my daughter."

" _I would like to speak to Miss Kagari and Miss Cavendish alone, Professor_ ," Croix said once more with greater emphasis.

Professor Finnelan turned on her heel and marched through the door Crawford was still holding. It closed behind them, and Croix turned to Akko and Diana. They both burst into speech at the same time.

"Professor, Izetta's telling the truth – we _saw_ Amon – "

" – he escaped when he bloodbended Lotte and Professor Ursula – "

" – it was Master Noah, except he wasn't Master Noah – "

" – Lotte's mom tracked him before – "

" – Amon attacked us, it wasn't Izetta – "

But Croix held up her hand to stem the flood of explanations.

"It's your turn to listen, and for everyone's sake, you better not interrupt me, because we don't have a whole lot of time," she said quietly. "There is not a shred of evidence to support Izetta's story, except your word – and the word of two thirteen-year-old witches will not convince anybody. A street full of eyewitnesses swore they saw Izetta commit the spell that murdered the Janssons and all those people in Zurich. Even members of Chariot's group gave evidence that points to Izetta being the killer."

"But Professor Ursula can tell you – " Akko said, unable to stop herself.

"Professor Ursula has suffered tremendous internal injuries that won't heal until morning. By the time she wakes up, it will be too late, Izetta will be worse than dead. And it doesn't help that Ursula and Izetta are old friends, so any testimony she makes will be taken with a grain of salt. The same could be said for me and Athena once your mother hears about this, Diana."

"But – "

" _Listen to me, Akko._ It is too late, you understand me? You must see that Professor Finnelan's version of events is far more convincing than yours."

"She hates Izetta," Diana said desperately. "Because she thinks she killed her daughter – "

"What happened to Finnelan's daughter _was_ our fault, and there is no denying that. On top of everything else, Izetta has not acted like an innocent woman. The attack on a teacher – breaking and entering the castle repeatedly – without Amon, alive or dead, we have no chance of overturning Izetta's sentence."

" _But you believe us._ "

"Yes, I do," said Croix quietly. "But I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the Magic Council…."

Akko stared up into the grave face and felt as though the ground beneath her were falling sharply away. She had grown used to the idea that Ursula and Croix could solve any problem. She had expected Croix to pull some amazing solution out of the air. But no…their last hope was gone.

"What we need," said Croix slowly, and her teal eyes moved from Akko to Diana, "is more _time_."

"But – " Diana began. And then her eyes became very round. "OH!"

"Now, pay attention," said Croix, speaking very low, and very clearly. "Izetta is locked in Professor Ursula's office on the top floor three windows to the left of the observatory. If all goes well, you will be able to save more than one innocent life tonight. But remember this, both of you: _you cannot be seen_. Diana, you know the rule – you know what is at stake…. _You – can – not – be - seen_."

Akko didn't have a clue what was going on. Croix had turned on her heel and looked back as she reached the door.

"I'm going to lock you in. It's – " she consulted her electronic watch, "five minutes to midnight. Diana, you should have one charge left. Three turns ought to do it. Don't forget the Shiny Rod. Good luck."

"Good luck?" Akko repeated as the door closed behind Croix. "One charge? Three turns? What's she talking about? What're we supposed to do?"

But Diana was fumbling around in her pocket, pulling out something that looked like a metal ball.

"Akko, grab the Shiny Rod and come here," she said urgently. " _Quick!_ "

Akko dashed over to the bedside table to retrieve her most prize possession, then dashed back over to Diana, completely bewildered. And apparently, she wasn't close enough as Diana let out an aggravated breath, looped her arm around Akko's shoulder, and pulled her in until they were practically touching cheeks. Akko really hoped that Diana couldn't hear her heart pound like a drum against her rib cage.

"Ready?" Diana said breathlessly.

"What are we doing?" Akko said, completely lost.

Diana turned the top half of the ball three times and surface of the ball split into three ways, revealing an orb of transcendental blue light.

All of a sudden, the dark ward dissolved. Akko had the sensation that she was flying very fast, backwards. A blur of colors and shapes rushed past her, her ears were pounding, she tried to yell but could hear her own voice –

And then she felt solid ground beneath her feet, and everything came into focus again –

She was standing next to Diana in the deserted entrance hall and a stream of golden sunlight was falling across the paved floor from the open front doors. She looked wildly around at Diana.

"Diana, what?"

"In here!" Diana seized Akko's arm and dragged her across the hall to the door of a broom closet; she opened it, pushed her inside among the buckets and mops, then slammed the door behind them.

"What – how – Diana, what just happened?"

"We've gone back in time," Diana whispered. "Three hours back…"

Akko found her own leg and gave it a hard pinch. It hurt a lot, which seemed to rule out the possibility that she was having a very bizarre dream. Though, now that she thought about it, being a witch training in a school of magic while holding the single most powerful magical artifact in the world, bizarre was the new normal for her.

"But – "

"Shh! Listen! Someone's coming! Given the time frame, I suspect it might be you with Jansson and Manbavaran!"

Diana had her ear pressed against the cupboard door.

"Footsteps across the hall…yes, I think you're going down to the paddocks!"

"Are you telling me," Akko whispered, "that I'm in here, but I'm also out there?"

"Yes," said Diana, her ear still glued to the cupboard door. "I'm sure it's you. It doesn't sound like more than three people…and you're walking slowly because you're wearing the Ring of Gyges – "

She broke off, still listening intently.

"You've gone down the front steps…."

Diana sat down on an upturned bucket, looking desperately anxious, but Akko wanted a few questions answered.

"Where did you _get_ that ball thing?"

"From Professor Croix," Diana whispered. "It's her new invention. She gave it to me on our first day back. It allows the user to turn back time – "

"Wait, you have Professor Croix's _Chronal Accelerator_?" Akko gasped. "She told about it a while ago. She said it's still in the preliminary testing…. Wait a minute. _You're_ the one that's been testing it, haven't you?"

"Yes, I've been using it all year to get to all my lessons," said Diana. "Professor Croix made me swear I wouldn't tell anyone. Bending time and space isn't exactly something that can be done freely. She had to write all sorts of letters to the Magic Council so that I could test it. She had to tell them that I was a model student, and that I would never, ever use it for anything except my studies…. I've been turning it back so I could do hours over again, that's how I've been doing several lessons at once, see? But….

"Akko, _I don't understand what Professor Croix wants us to do._ Why did she tell us to go back three hours? How's that going to help Izetta?"

Akko stared at her shadowy face.

"There must have been something that happened around now she wants us to change," she said slowly. "What happened? We were walking down to the paddocks three hours ago…."

"This _is_ three hours ago, and you _are_ walking down to the paddocks," said Diana. "We just heard you leaving…."

Akko frowned; she felt like she was screwing up her whole brain in concentration.

"Professor Croix just said – just said we could save more than one innocent life…." And then it hit her. "Diana, we're going to save Qing!"

"But – how will that help Izetta?"

"Professor Croix said – she just told us where the window is – the window to Professor Ursula's office! Where they've got Izetta locked up! We've got to fly Qing up to the window and rescue Izetta! Izetta can escape on Qing – they can escape together!"

From what Akko could see of Diana's face, she looked terrified.

"If we can manage that without being seen, it'll be a miracle!"

"Well, we've got to try, right?" said Akko. She stood up and pressed her ear against the door.

"Doesn't sound like anyone's out there…. Come on, let's go…."

Akko pushed open the closet door. The entrance hall was deserted. As quietly and quickly as they could, they darted out of the closet and down the stone steps, past the statue of the Great Witch Jennifer. The shadows were already lengthening, the tops of the trees in the Arcturus Forest gilded once more with gold

"If anyone's looking out of the windows – " Diana squeaked, looking up at the castle behind them.

"We'll run for it," said Akko determinedly. "Straight into the forest, all right? We'll have to hide behind a tree or something and keep a lookout – "

"Okay, but we'll go around by the greenhouses!" said Diana breathlessly. "We need to keep out of sight near the paddocks or we'll see us? We must already be down there by now."

Together they set off at a sprint. They tore across the vegetable gardens to the greenhouses, paused for a moment behind them, then set off again, fast as they could, skirting around Gora-Chan, tearing toward the shelter of the forest…

"Right," Diana gasped. "We need to sneak over to the paddocks…. Keep out of sight, Akko…."

They made their way silently through the trees, keeping to the very edge of the forest. Then, as they glimpsed the wooden fencing of the paddocks, they could see Professor Pisces and Wendy standing around the edge while Diana – Past Diana, Akko had to remind herself – was sitting solemnly across from Qing. Then suddenly, Wendy swung around with her hands raised defensively and Akko heard her own voice.

"Whoa, whoa, it's just us!" And then Akko, Lotte, and Sucy suddenly appeared out of thin air. "See?"

"You shouldn't have come," said Professor Pisces. "Then again, I had very little doubt that you would show up eventually, after Miss Marvell and Miss Cavendish arrived."

"This is the third weirdest thing we've ever done," Akko said fervently.

"Let's move along a bit," Dian whispered. "We need to get closer to Qing."

They crept through the trees until they were directly behind past Diana, staring down the nervous Qilin tethered to the tree.

"When do we get him?" Akko whispered.

"It can't be until after the Department members have seen him tied up," said Diana. "If they find him gone by the time they arrive, they'll think Professor Pisces set him free and she will be punished for interfering with official Magic Council business."

"That's going to give us about sixty seconds," said Akko. This was starting to seem impossible.

At that moment, they saw Past Akko walking up to Past Diana and sitting next to her.

"Hey, Diana, I just had a thought," said Akko suddenly. "What if we – we just tell our past selves what happen – then they can be prepare for Amon – "

"Are you out of your goddamn mind, Atsuko Rukia Kagari!" said Diana in a terrified whisper. "Do you even understand the implications of what would happen if you saw yourself? If people meet their past or future selves, space-time will fold in on itself, creating a catastrophic event of unparalleled magnitude! Haven't you seen that American television show where the superheroes destroy history on a weekly basis?"

"Myths of Yesterday?" said Akko.

"That's the one!" Diana hissed. "It is the single most important law in history. That is why people are not allowed to change history – "

"But we're changing history right now by saving Qing," said Akko pointedly.

"But are we, Akko?" said Diana. "We never actually saw Qing be executed. For all intents and purposes, history is playing out exactly as it intended."

"Wait…," said Akko slowly. "So you're saying…we were _supposed_ to travel back and save Qing? How does that work?"

"Akko…," said Diana softly. "Professor Croix created the Chronal Accelerator to change history, but she was mistaken. The past cannot be changed – history has already been cemented. Everything that happens from here to the time we return to the hospital wing is going to continue undisturbed."

"But what about - ?"

"You can try to change history, Akko, but every action you take will likely have already happened in the previous timeline," said Diana solemnly. "I know it may seem a little somber, but no matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, nothing is going to change, Akko. We _will_ follow Izetta into the trapdoor, we _will_ confront Professor Finnelan at the Tree of Woodward, and Amon _will_ escape. There's nothing that can be done without tearing up the fabric of space-time. So, please, just remember that in case you try anything rash."

Akko clutched her fists and gritted her teeth. Diana couldn't be right. They had a literal time machine. That meant there was a chance of changing the past, right? History isn't set in stone – they could change all the unpleasant things. Izetta would be free…they could be a family again….

Diana suddenly nudged her and pointed toward the castle. Akko moved her head a few inches to get a clear view of the distant front doors. Professor Holbrooke, Crawford, the old department member, and Pyramid Head were walking past the statue of the Great Witch Jennifer.

"We're about to make a run for it!" Diana breathed.

Sure enough, moments later, Akko and Diana hopped the fence near Lotte, Sucy, and Wendy while Akko was fumbling around in her pockets look for the Ring. It was, without a doubt, one of the strangest sensations of her life, standing behind the tree, and watching herself nearly dropping the Ring.

"It's okay, Qing, It's okay…," Professor Pisces said to Qing. Then she turned to Akko, Lotte, Sucy, Diana, and Wendy. "Go on. Get going."

"Professor, we can't – "

"We'll tell them what really happened – "

"They can't kill him – "

"Go! It is bad enough without you children getting in trouble, especially you, Miss Kagari."

Akko watched Sucy snatch the Ring out of Past Akko's hands, slip it on her own finger, and then grabbed Past Akko and Lotte's hands, making them vanish out of sight. Then Professor Pisces turned to Past Diana and Wendy.

"You two – "

"Don't worry, Professor. I'll make an excuse if we get caught, but Akko and the others cannot afford to be seen."

"Fine, just go quickly. Don't listen…."

Leaves could be heard crunching under footsteps. The execution party had arrived. Professor Pisces turned around and headed back to the front of the paddocks. Akko watched Diana and Wendy retreat behind the trees near them while the grass flattened in patches behind them, signifying that Past Akko, Lotte, and Sucy were right behind them. The next minute, they were gone…but the Akko and Diana hidden in the trees could now hear what was happening near the front of the paddock.

"Where is the beast?" came the feeble voice of department member

"Near the back," said Professor Pisces solemnly.

Akko pulled her head out of sight as Pyramid Head walked around the fence to get an unobstructed view of Qing tethered to the large tree. Then they heard Crawford's voice.

"We – er – have to read you the official notice of execution, Professor. I'll make it quick. And then you and the executioner need to sign it. Um, executioner, you're supposed to listen too, that's procedure – "

Pyramid Head stomped his way back to the front of the paddock.

"It's now or never," Akko whispered.

"I'll do it," said Diana suddenly. "It's my fault that all this started. I should be the one to clean up my mess."

As Crawford's voice started again, Diana darted out from behind her tree, vaulted the fence into the paddock, and approached Qing.

" _It is the decision of the Department of Magical Wildlife that the Qilin Qing, hereafter called the condemned, shall be executed on the sixth of June at sundown –_ "

Diana approached Qing with caution, staring into the beast's fierce gray eyes, and bowed deeply. For a moment, Akko was afraid it would reject her again when several second passed and the Qilin didn't bow in return. But then, to her immense relief, Qing sank to one knee in an unmistakable bow. Diana let out a relieved sigh and whipped out her wand, casting a spell to loosen the knot of the rope tying Qing to the tree.

"… _sentenced to execution by beheading, to be carried out by the Department's appointed executioner…_ "

"Come on, Qing," Diana murmured, "come on, we're going to help you. Quietly…Quietly…"

"… _as witnessed below._ You sign here, Professor…."

Diana threw all her weight onto the rope, but Qing had dug in his front feet.

"Well, let's get this over with," said the reedy voice of the Department member from the front of the paddocks. "Professor, perhaps it will be better if you stay out – "

"No, I think – I think I should be there for him…. I don't want him to be alone.

Heavy footsteps echoed from the fencing.

" _Qing, move!_ " Diana hissed.

Diana tugged harder on the rope around Qing's neck. The Qilin began to walk finally. They were still ten feet away from the forest, in plain view from the fencing should the Department members come around.

"One moment, please, Mr. Executioner," came Professor Holbrooke's voice. "You need to sign too." The footsteps stopped. Diana heaved on the rope. Qing snapped his teeth and walked a little faster.

Akko's white face was sticking out from behind the tree.

" _Hurry, hurry!_ " she mouthed.

They could still hear Professor Holbrooke's voice talking from near the front of the paddocks. Diana gave the rope another wrench. Qing broke into a grudging trot. They had reached the trees….

"Get back here!" Akko moaned, darting out from behind her tree, seizing the rope too and adding her weight to make Qing move faster. Akko looked over her shoulder; they were now blocked from sight; they couldn't see the paddocks at all.

"Stop," Diana whispered to Akko. "They might hear us – "

The heavy footfalls were coming back, this time accompanied by a loud, scraping noise – the Pyramid Head was dragging his knife across the ground. Akko, Diana, and Qing stood quite still; even the Qilin seemed to be listening intently.

Silence…then –

"Where is it?" said the reedy voice of the Department member. "Where is the beast?"

"It was tied here!" said Crawford in a panic. "I saw it! Just here!"

"How extraordinary," said Professor Holbrooke. There was a note of amusement in her voice.

"Qing…," said Professor Pisces breathlessly.

There was a swishing noise, and the thud of a heavy blade. The Pyramid Head seemed to have swung it's knife into the tree in anger. And then there was a loud cry, and this time they could hear Professor Pisces yelling with jubilation that seemed out of character for her.

"Gone! Gone! Bless his little antlers, he's _gone_! Must have pulled himself free. Qing, you clever boy!"

Qing started to strain against the rope, trying to get back to Professor Pisces. Akko and Diana tightened their grip and dug their heels into the forest floor to stop him.

"Someone untied him!" shouted Crawford, "We should search the grounds, the forest – "

"Crawford, if Qing has indeed been stolen, do you really think the thief will have lead him away on foot?" said Professor Holbrooke, still sounding amused. "Search the skies, if you will…. Professor Pisces, I could do with a cup of tea. Or a large bourbon."

"Of course, headmistress," said Professor Pisces, who sounded weak with happiness. "I can spell us up with a few cups…."

Akko and Diana listened closely. They heard footsteps, the soft, panicked muttering of the Chairman, and then silence once more.

"Now what?" whispered Akko, looking around.

"We'll have to hide in here," said Diana, who looked exhausted. "We need to wait until they've gone back to the castle. Then we wait until it's safe to fly Qing up to Izetta's window. She won't be there for another couple of hours…. Oh, this is going to be difficult…."

She looked nervously over her shoulder into the depths of the forest. The sun was setting now.

"We're going to have to move," said Akko, thinking hard. "We've got to be able to see Gora-chan, or we won't know what's going on."

"Okay," said Diana, getting a firmer grip on Qing's rope. "But we've got to keep out of sight, Akko, remember…."

They moved around the edge of the forest, darkness falling thickly around them, until they were hidden behind a clump of trees through which they could make out the Mandrake.

"There's Wendy! And Izetta!" said Akko suddenly.

A dark figure was being dragged across the grass by a creature and its shout echoed through the still night air.

"Get off of me – get off – If you don't – **_Sky Dragon Roar_**!"

A sudden gale of wind blew the creature away as two more figures materialized around the corner. Akko watched herself and Past Diana chasing after Wendy.

"Oh boy, Izetta does not look happy about that," said Akko. The great shape of the fox had bounded back at their past selves. They saw her bowl Akko over and turned around for another leap, but was intercepted by Wendy, and seized her by the arm….

"Looks even worse from here, doesn't it?" said Akko, watching the fox pulling Wendy into the roots. "Ouch – look, I just got smacked down by Gora-Chan – and so did you – this is _weird_ –"

Gora-chan was creaking and lashing out with its vines; they could see themselves darting here and there, trying to reach the stem. That's when Lotte and Sucy came around and Sucy froze the Mandrake with a wave of her wand.

"That was very painful to watch," said Akko.

"Look, there we go…," Diana muttered. "We're in."

The moment they disappeared, Gora-chan began to move again. Seconds later, they heard footsteps quite close by. Professor Holbrooke, Pyramid Head, Crawford, and the old Department member were making their way up to the castle.

"Right after we'd gone down the passage!" said Akko. "If _only_ Professor Holbrooke had come with us…"

"The Chairman and the executioner would've come too," said Diana bitterly. "I bet you anything the Chairman would have told the executioner to murder Izetta on the spot…."

They watched the group of four walk past the statue of the Great Witch Jennifer and disappear into the castle. For a few minutes the scene was deserted. Then –

"Here comes Professor Ursula!" said Akko as they saw another figure sprinting down the pathway and hurrying toward Gora-chan.

They watched Ursula whip out her wand and shoot the Mandrake with a burst of green energy. The Mandrake stopped fighting, and Ursula, too, disappeared into the gap in its roots.

"If she'd only grabbed the Ring," said Akko. "It's just lying there…."

She turned to Diana.

"If I just ran out now and grabbed it, Professor Finnelan would never be able to get it – "

"Akko, _we can't be seen_!"

"How can you stand this?" she asked Diana fiercely. "Just standing there and watching it happen?" She hesitated. "I'm going to grab the Ring."

"Akko, _no_!"

Diana seized the back of Akko's tunic not a moment too soon. Just then, they heard a burst of song. It was Professor Pisces, making her way up to the castle, singing at the top of her voice.

" _See?_ " Diana whispered. " _See what would have happened_? This isn't some movie or cartoon! History cannot be changed, no matter how hard one tries! Everything has to happen exactly as it should! _Get down, Qing!_ "

The Qilin was making frantic attempts to get to Professor Pisces again; Akko seized his rope too, straining to hold Qing back. They watched Professor Pisces meander up to the castle. She was gone. Qing stopped fighting to get away. His head drooped sadly.

Barely two minutes later, the castle doors flew open yet again, and Professor Finnelan came charging out of them, running toward Gora-chan.

Akko's fists clenched as they watched Professor Finnelan skid to a halt near the statue of the Great Witch Jennifer, seemingly noticing something on the ground. She bent down and grabbed the Ring of Gyges.

"Get your filthy hands off it," Akko snarled under her breath.

" _Shh._ "

Professor Finnelan waved her wand and blasted the Mandrake with green energy just like Ursula, freezing the plant in place, and vanished from view as she put on the Ring.

It was only one minute later that the castle doors swung open again and this time it was Amon who stealthily made his way around the courtyard, taking cover in the shadows, as he approached Gora-chan. The Bloodbender merely raised his hand and the Mandrake's vines were forced to wrap around the stem, just long enough for Amon to slip under its roots.

"And there goes Amon," Diana whispered. "That's it. We're all down there…and now we've just got to wait until we come back up again…."

"I still don't understand why we didn't just go out there and stop them," said Akko, frowning. "We had the element of surprise. We could have snuck up on Finnelan and Amon and knocked them out before they knew what happened."

"Akko, how many times do I have to tell you," said Diana exasperatedly. "You can't change – "

"Why not?" Akko hissed furiously at her. "We've got a literal time machine. We can change anything we want – we can make a better future. How can you just sit back and do nothing?"

"You think I haven't tried to change the future, Akko?" Diana snapped loudly, making Akko jump back. "I have. Many times before. That's why I know that history can't be changed."

"Wha – what do you mean?" asked Akko cautiously.

"Remember that day when I missed Professor Kowata's class?" said Diana. "When I found out I have missed it, I tried to turn back time to change it. I made four separate attempts, and each one ended disastrously. During my last attempt, I came dangerously close to meeting myself in the hallway outside the library and nearly collapsed all of space-time for one class. It was at that moment that I realized time itself was stopping me from interfering with events. I came to the horrible conclusion that history cannot be altered. Everything that happens is how it is meant to be, and we hold no power to change it."

"So…even if Professor Croix finishes the main Accelerator…," said Akko slowly.

"It won't affect history in the slightest," said Diana remorsefully. "The past is cemented in stone; it cannot be altered. It's a shame, really. If the Chronal Accelerator had worked, I would have like to go back…back to the day my mother died."

"Your mother?" said Akko. "You mean Athena? She died?"

"No, my other mother, the one who gave birth to me," said Diana softly, pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she stared intently ahead. "Her name was Bernadette Cavendish, the previous matriarch of the Cavendish House. She was a kind person and a brilliant witch who took pride in our family name. She was a student here at Luna Nova – it was where she met my other mother, Athena Metis. However, she was born with a weak body that was ill-suited for her powerful magic. I was six-years-old when I stood at her death bed."

"I'm…I'm sorry," said Akko slowly. "I…didn't know…."

"I don't like to announce it anyone – I would rather not have their pity," said Diana. "But when I heard about Professor Croix's Chronal Accelerator, I thought that, maybe, I could reverse time and save her. Change history so that she is still with me in the present…. Unfortunately, the world doesn't work like that."

"It must be hard for you," said Akko, looking at her lap guiltily. "I mean, I've never met my real parents, but I still have my adoptive parents love and support me…. I can't imagine what it's like to just…lose someone right in front of you."

" _Sybilladura Lelladybura_ ," Diana recited. "I told you about our family motto before, right?"

"A lot of times this year, actually," said Akko. "Something about past, present, and future, right?"

"Kinda of," said Diana. "The phrase has many different interpretations, but there is one that I keep close to my heart. It's the one my mother told me before she died. She said to me…'Do not let the grief of your past keep you from living in the present…otherwise you'll miss out on all the wonderful things waiting for you in the future.' So, I've done just that. In all these years, I've chosen not to be hindered by my past, but let it motivate me into pursuing the future. That's why, despite my disappointment, I won't let myself be consumed with changing the past. I won't let Professor Croix's device hold me down."

Akko watched her companion in awe. It was no surprise that Diana had the moral high ground; if it were Akko holding the Chronal Accelerator, she would probably try to twist time again and again until she got what she wanted, ignoring the consequences of space-time collapse. In all honesty, Croix was right to give it to Diana instead of her.

"While we're talking," Diana spoke suddenly, "there is something I have been wondering about…. The Heartless. Why didn't they get Izetta? I remember them coming, and then I think I passed out… there were so many of them…."

Akko tried to explain what she'd seen; how, as the nearest Heartless had plunged its claw into Akko's heart, a large burst of light had come flying across the lake and forced the Heartless to retreat.

Diana's mouth was slightly open by the time Akko had finished.

"But what was it?"

"There's only one thing it could have been, to make that many Heartless run," said Akko. "A light spell. A powerful one."

"But who conjured it?"

Akko didn't say anything. She was thinking back to the person she'd seen on the other bank of the lake. She knew who she thought it had been…but it _couldn't_ have been them, could it?

"Did you see what they looked like?" said Diana. "Was it one of the teachers?"

"No," said Akko. "She wasn't a teacher."

"But it must have been a very powerful witch, to drive all those Heartless away…. If the light spell was shining so brightly, didn't it light her up? Couldn't you see - ?"

"Well, I kinda saw her," said Akko slowly. "It was so bright…I could barely see a thing…. But…maybe I imagined it…. I wasn't thinking straight…. I passed out right afterward…."

" _Who do you think it was?_ "

"I think – " Akko swallowed, knowing how strange this was going to sound. "I think it was my mom…I think I saw Shiny Chariot."

Akko glanced up at Diana and saw that her mouth was fully open now. She was gazing at her with a mixture of alarm and pity.

"Akko, that doesn't make sense," she said quietly. "Why would Shiny Chariot be _here_? Why now?"

"I know it sounds unlikely," said Akko quickly.

"Do you think you were hallucinating?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I definitely know there was someone over there, but…from what I could see…it looked like her…. Maybe it was Chariot, maybe it wasn't…."

"Akko, I want to believe that Shiny Chariot came back as much as you do," said Diana softly. "But she's been gone for so long. How would she know when to save you and why would she not stick around?"

"I know how it sounds," said Akko flatly. She turned to looked at Qing, who was scarping the side of a tree with his antlers for some apparent reason. But she wasn't really watching Qing.

She was thinking about Shiny Chariot and about her mother's friends…. Blair, Croix, Ursula, Izetta, Chariot…. Had all five of them been at Luna Nova tonight? Amon had reappeared this evening after vanishing for thirteen years…. Was it so impossible her mother had done the same? But Diana had a point. Why did she come back now of all times? And why didn't she stay afterwards? Had she been seeing things across the lake? The figure had been too far away to see distinctly…yet she had felt sure, for a moment, before she'd lost consciousness….

The leaves overhead rustled faintly in the breeze. The moon drifted in and out of sight behind the shifting clouds. Diana sat with her face turned toward Gora-chan, waiting.

And then, at last, after over an hour…

"Here we come!" Diana whispered.

She and Akko got to their feet. Qing raised his head. They saw Sucy and Wendy come out first; Sucy waved her wand to stiffen the Mandrake. Then Lotte, Amon, and Ursula clambered awkwardly out next. Then came Diana…then the unconscious Professor Finnelan, drifting weirdly upward. Next came Akko and Izetta. They all began to walk toward the castle.

Akko's heart was beating very fast. She glanced up at the sky. Any moment now, that cloud was going to move aside and show the moon….

"Akko," Diana muttered as though she knew exactly what she was thinking, "we've got to stay put. We mustn't be seen. There's nothing we can do…."

"But what if we catch Amon after they're done fight?" said Akko quietly.

"Amon is about to take down _seven of us_ single-handedly!" snapped Diana. "Do you think it will be any better with just the two of us? If he catches us now, there will be no one left to save Izetta later!"

" _All right!_ "

The moon slid out from behind its cloud. They saw the tiny figured across the grounds stop. Then they saw movement –

"There goes Amon," Diana whispered. "He's bloodbending – "

"Diana!" said Akko suddenly. "We've got to move!"

"We can't, I keep telling you – "

"Not to interfere! Amon's going to run into the forest, right at us!"

Diana gasped.

"Quick!" she moaned, dashing to untie Qing. "Quick! Where are we going to go? Where are we going to hide? The Heartless will be coming any moment – "

"Back at the paddocks!" Akko said. "It's empty now – come on!"

They ran as fast as they could, Qing cantering along behind them. They could hear the sounds of battle behind them….

The paddocks were in sight; Akko threw herself over the fencing and Diana clung to Qing's back as it bounded over, stopping near the same tree where it had been tied up earlier.

"That was too close!" said Diana, gasping for breath.

"Yeah…"

Akko was staring out into the distance. It was much harder to see what was going on from here. Qing seemed quite content to find himself back at the paddocks. He lay down in front of the large tree and seemed ready for a good nap.

"I think I'd better go check on them, you know," said Akko slowly. "I can't see what's going on – we won't know when it's time – "

Diana looked up. Her expression was suspicious.

"I'm not going to try and interfere," said Akko quickly. "But if we don't see what's going on, how're we going to know when it's time to rescue Izetta?"

"Well…okay, then…I'll wait here with Qing…. Make sure you have the Shiny Rod with you – Amon is still out there, after all – and the Heartless – "

Akko hopped the fence once more and edged around the forest. She could hear yelling in the distance. That meant the Heartless were closing in on Izetta…. She and Diana would be running to her any moment….

Akko stared out toward the lake, her heart doing a kind of drumroll in her chest…. Whoever had sent the Heartless away would be appearing at any moment….

For a fraction of a second she stood, irresolute, in front of the paddocks. _You must not be seen._ But she didn't want to be seen. She wanted to do the seeing…. She had to know….

And there were the Heartless. They were emerging out of the darkness from every direction, walking across the lake without disturbing the water beneath…. They were moving away from where Akko stood, to the opposite bank…. She wouldn't have to get near them….

Akko began to run. She had no thought in her head except Shiny Chariot…. If it was her…if it was really her…she had to know, had to find out….

The lake was coming closer and closer, but there was no sign of anybody. On the opposite bank, she could see tiny glimmers of white – her own attempts at repelling the Heartless –

There was a bush at the very edge of the water. Akko threw herself behind it, peering desperately through the leaves. On the opposite bank, the glimmers of white were suddenly extinguished. A terrified excitement shout through her – any moment now –

"Come on!" she muttered, staring about. "Where are you? Mom, come on – "

But no one came. Akko raised her head to look at the circle of Heartless across the lake. One of them had jabbed its claw into her past self's chest. It was time for the rescuer to appear – it was time for her mother to save her – but no one was coming –

Perhaps, Akko thought with a sense of dread and disappointment in her stomach, that was because her mother wasn't coming. Maybe the person that Akko had seen across the lake wasn't Shiny Chariot, but she desperately wanted it to be that she imagined it to be her idol…. It was just like Diana had warned. Akko was clinging to a distant memory – one that was so far back she couldn't even remember. She wants more than anything for her rescuer to be Shiny Chariot that she was completely ignoring what was happening in the present; not wanting to accept was she _really_ saw. But if she didn't accept what she knew was the truth, then she would miss out on a wonderful future – a future with Izetta in her life.

Akko stepped out from behind the bush and pulled out the Shiny Rod. The Star of Space sparkled in the darkness as the words spilled naturally from her lips.

" ** _Sybilladura Lelladybura!_** " she yelled.

A warm tingling sensation traveled down her arm to the Shiny Rod; the mystical staff unraveled like thread and bound together again into a familiar shape – she summoned the Shiny Balai.

Akko threw her leg over the broom as she shouted at the top of her lungs, " ** _Lumen Tia Freyre!_** "

She shot into air like a rocket aiming towards the Heartless when she realized that the warmth she was feeling had not subsided; if anything, it seemed to grow. A blinding, silvery-white light suddenly surrounded her. She soared across the black surface of the lake without disturbing the water that was only inches below her. She laid herself flat against the Shiny Balai and barreled through the swarming Heartless…. The creatures of darkness exploded into black smoke upon her approach; the rest of the pack panicked and scattered as Akko circled above her past self, watching the Heartless retreat into the shadows… They were gone.

Akko turned. She flew back across the still surface of the water, the light that covered her slowly fading when she returned to the opposite bank. She hopped off the Shiny Balai as it returned to its natural shape and turned around, staring across the lake at her past self.

By now, she would be thinking that it was Shiny Chariot coming to save it. It was probably better that way, in all honesty. Akko wasn't sure how close she had come to ripping a hole in space-time from that close encounter, but it was probably the most dangerous thing she had done yet.

Akko stood there, lost in thought. Then, with a great leap of her heart, she heard hooves behind her – she whirled around and saw Diana dashing toward her, dragging Qing behind her.

" _What did you do?_ " she said fiercely. "You said you were only going to keep a lookout!"

"I just save all our lives…," said Akko. "Get behind here – behind this bush – I'll explain."

Diana listened to what had just happened, rubbing her forehead for the oncoming migraine.

"Did anyone see you?"

"Yes, haven't you been listening? _I_ saw me but I thought it was Shiny Chariot! It's okay! It's like you said, history is happening as it should!"

"Akko, I can't believe it…. You made that light spell using only a broom and the flying spell. That is very, _very_ advanced magic…."

"I knew I could do it this time," said Akko, "because I already did it before…. Does that make sense?"

"I learned never to question anything about time travel," said Diana dryly. "Akko, look at Professor Finnelan!"

Together they peered around the bush at the other bank. Professor Finnelan had regained consciousness. She was conjuring stretchers and lifting the limp forms of Akko, Diana, and Izetta onto them. Four more stretchers were already floating at her side, no doubt bearing Lotte, Sucy, Wendy, and Ursula. Then, wand held out in front of her, she moved them away toward the castle.

"Right, it's almost time," said Diana tensely, looking at her watch. "We've got about forty-five minutes until Professor Croix locks the door to the hospital wing. We've got to rescue Izetta and get back to the ward before anybody realizes we're missing…."

They waited, watching the moving clouds reflected in the lake, while the bush next to them whispered in the breeze. Qing, bored, was scratching his antlers against trees again.

"Do you think she's up there yet?" said Akko, checking her own watch. She looked up at the castle and began counting windows to the left of the observatory.

"Look!" Diana whispered. "Who's that? Someone's coming back out of the castle!"

Akko stared through the darkness. The man was hurrying across the grounds, toward one of the entrances. Something unnaturally large was resting on their head.

"That Pyramid Head guy!" said Akko. "The executioner! He's going to get the Heartless! This is it, Diana – "

Diana put her hands on Qing's back and Akko gave her a leg up. Then Diana helped pull Akko up so that she was sitting behind her. Diana pulled Qing's rope back over his neck and tied it to the other side of his collar like reins.

"Ready?" Diana whispered to Akko. "You had better hold on to me – "

"You don't have to tell me twice," Akko muttered quietly.

"What was that?" asked Diana curiously.

"Nothing!" yelped Akko.

Diana nudged Qing's sides with her heels.

Qing soared straight into the dark air. Akko wrapped her arms around Diana's waist as tight as she could, feeling the Qilin's body rise and fall underneath her. It was very uncomfortable and Akko definitely knew she preferred riding a broomstick to this.

Diana urged Qing forward. They were gliding quietly toward the upper floors of the castle…. Diana pulled hard on the left-hand side of the rope, and Qing turned. Akko was trying to count the windows flashing past –

"Stop, we're here!" she yelled.

Diana pulled backwards as hard as she could. Qing slowed down and they found themselves at a complete stop in midair.

"There she is!" Akko said, spotting Izetta as they rose up besides the window. Unfortunately, she wasn't alone.

"Oh no, Professor Holbrooke is still inside," Diana groaned. "What're we going to do now."

As both of them started to consider ways on moving the Headmistress out of the office, they could hear Professor Holbrooke talking to Izetta inside.

"It really is quite stuffy in here, dear," she said. "Would please mind opening the window?"

Izetta walked across the room toward the window and threw it open when she looked up. Her mouth open and closed several times like a fish out of water.

"What are you doing here?" Izetta hissed.

"We're here to rescue you!" said Akko quietly. "Get on – there's not much time. You've got to get out of there – the Heartless are coming – the executioner went to get them."

"Are you insane?" snapped Izetta, looking frantically over her should at Professor Holbrooke, who had taken off her glasses to clean them. "We can't run away with Holbrooke watching us – "

"What was that, dear?" said Professor Holbrooke, still wiping her glasses. "I'm sorry, but my hearing isn't what it used to be. I'm afraid I'm having trouble listen…. My word, my glasses keep getting fogged up. Heaven knows I can't see anything without them…."

Akko certainly knew one thing, Professor Holbrooke wasn't going to win an Oscar with that performance, but Akko wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Knowing that Professor Holbrooke wasn't about to stop them, Izetta placed a hand on either side of the window frame and heaved her head and shoulders out of it. In seconds, she managed to fling one leg over Qing's back and pulled herself onto the Qilin behind Akko.

"Okay, Qing, up!" said Diana, shaking the rope. "Up to the tower – come on!"

The Qilin reared itself up, nearly unseating its passengers, and shot upward again, high as the top of the observatory tower. Qing landed with a clatter on the battlements, and Akko and Diana slid off him at once.

"Izetta, you got to get out of here, quick," Akko panted. "They'll reach Professor Ursula's office any minute, they'll find out you're gone."

Qing pawed the ground, tossing his head.

"What happened to the others? To Lotte?" croaked Izetta.

"She's going to be okay. She still out of it, but Porlyusica says she'll be able to make her better. Now get out of here – go – "

But Izetta was still staring down at Akko.

"GO!" Akko and Diana shouted together.

Izetta wheeled Qing around, facing the open sky.

"Akko…your mother is closer than you think," she said, much to Akko's bewilderment. "I hope that – when you do meet her – you won't be too upset with her – "

She squeezed Qing's sides with her heels. Akko and Diana jumped back as the Qilin took off into the sky with a mighty leap….He and his rider became smaller and smaller as Akko gazed after them…then a cloud drifted across the moon…. They were gone.

* * *

 **Final Chapter: The End of the Beginning**


	22. The End of the Beginning

**Akko Kagari and the White Witch**

 **Chapter Twenty-Two: The End of the Beginning**

"Akko!"

Diana was tugging at her sleeve, staring at her watch. "We've got exactly ten minutes to get back down to the hospital wing without anybody seeing us – before Professor Croix locks the door – "

"Okay," said Akko, wrenching her gaze from the sky, "let's go…."

They slipped through the doorway behind them and down a tightly spiraling stone staircase. As they reached the bottom of it, they heard voices. They flattened themselves against the wall and listened. It sounded like Crawford and Professor Finnelan. They were walking quickly along the corridor at the foot of the staircase.

"…only hope the headmistress is not going to make things difficult," Professor Finnelan was saying. "The Heart of Darkness will be performed immediately?"

"As soon as the executioner returns with the Heartless. This whole Izetta affair has been highly embarrassing. I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to informing the press that we've got her at last…. I daresay they'll want to interview you, Anne…and once young Akko is back in her right mind, I expect she'll want to tell the news exactly how you saved her…."

"Somehow, I highly doubt that," said Professor Finnelan. "Miss Kagari has always had an exceptionally low opinion of me…. But I am more than okay with that."

"Well, I'm certain she'll change her mind after tonight," said Crawford.

Their footsteps died away. Akko and Diana waited a few moments to make sure they were really gone, then started to run in the opposite direction. Down one staircase, then another, along a new corridor – then they heard a cackling ahead.

" _Mxyz!_ " Akko muttered, grabbing Diana's wrist. "In here!"

They toe into a deserted classroom to their left just in time. Mr. Mxyzptlk seemed to be bouncing along the corridor in boisterous good spirits, laughing his head off.

"God, he is the worst," whispered Diana, her ear to the door. "I bet he's all excited because the Heartless are going to finish off Izetta…." She checked her watch. "Three minutes, Akko!"

They waited until Mr. Mxyzptlk's gloating voice had faded into the distance, then slid back out of the room and broke into a run again.

"Diana – what'll happen – if we don't get back inside – before Professor Croix locks the door?" Akko panted.

"Technically speaking, it will be the future after we left, so we have no way of knowing what will happen," said Diana, checking her watch again. "One minute!"

They had reached the end of the corridor with the hospital wing entrance. "Okay – I can hear Professor Croix," said Diana tensely. "Come on, Akko!"

They crept along the corridor. The door opened. Croix's back appeared.

"I'm going to lock you in," they heard her saying. "It's five minutes to midnight. Diana, you should have one charge left. Three turns ought to do it. Don't forget the Shiny Rod. Good luck."

Croix backed out of the room, closed the door, and pulled out her smartphone to magically lock it. Panicking, Akko and Diana ran forward. Croix looked up, and a wide smile appeared on her lips. "Well?" she said quietly.

"We did it!" said Akko breathlessly. "Izetta is gone, on Qing…."

Croix beamed at them.

"Well done. I think – " she listened intently for any sound within the hospital wing. "Yes, I think you're gone too – get inside – I'll lock you in – "

Akko and Diana slipped back inside the dormitory. Everyone was still unconscious in their beds just like they left them. As the lock clicked behind them, Akko and Diana crept back to their own beds. Diana tucking the Chronal Accelerator prototype back in her pockets, Akko replacing the Shiny Rod back on the bedside table. A moment later, Porlyusica came striding back out of her office.

"Did I hear her leaving? Am I allowed to look after my patients now?"

She was in a very bad mood. Akko and Diana thought it was best to accept their tea quietly. Porlyusica stood over them, making sure they drank it. But Akko could hardly swallow. She and Diana were waiting, listening, their nerves jangling…. And then, as they both took their fourth cup of tea from Porlyusica, they heard a distant noise akin to thunder clapping from somewhere above them….

"What the hell was that?" said Porlyusica in alarm.

Now they could hear angry voices, growing louder and louder. Porlyusica was staring at the door.

"Really – they'll wake everybody up! What do they think they're doing?"

Akko was trying to hear what the voices were saying. They were drawing closer – "

"She must have teleported, Anne. Poor Professor Holbrooke, caught by surprise like that. When this gets out – "

"She didn't teleport!" Professor Finnelan snapped, now very close at hand. "She couldn't have used the Corridors of Darkness either, not without being spotted by the Heartless! This has something to do with Kagari!"

"Anne – be reasonable – Akko has been locked up – "

 _ **BAM!**_

The door of the hospital wing burst open.

Crawford, Finnelan, Holbrooke, and Croix came striding into the ward. Both Professor Holbrooke and Croix looked at ease. Indeed, Croix in particular looked as though she was quite enjoying herself. Crawford appeared angry. But Professor Finnelan was beside herself.

"Out with it, Miss Kagari!" she bellowed. "What did you do?"

"Professor!" yelled Porlyusica. "Control yourself!"

"Same here, Anne, be reasonable," said Crawford. "This door has been locked, we just saw – "

"She helped her escape, I know it!" Professor Finnelan howled, pointing at Akko. Her face was twisted; spit was flying from her mouth.

"Calm down, woman!" Crawford barked. "You're talking nonsense!"

"You don't know Miss Kagari!" shrieked Professor Finnelan. "She did it, I know she did it – "

"That will do, Professor," said Croix calmly. "Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the ward ten minutes ago. Miss Porlyusica, has anyone left their beds?"

"Of course not!" said Porlyusica, bristling. "I would have heard them!"

"Well, there you have it, Professor," said Croix with a superior undertone. "Unless you are suggesting that Miss Kagari are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further."

"Two places at…," said Professor Finnelan slowly; realization suddenly swept over her face as she spun around to Croix. "You…you son of a…."

Croix stood there, looking particularly smug at Professor Finnelan, seething, while Crawford looked thoroughly shocked at her behavior, and Professor Holbrooke, whose eyes were twinkling behind her glasses. Giving one last nasty look at Croix, Professor Finnelan whirled about and stormed out of the ward.

"The old woman seems quite unbalanced," said Crawford, staring after her. "I'd watch out for her if I were you, Holbrooke."

"Oh, she's not unbalanced," said Professor Holbrooke quietly. "She's just suffered a severe disappointment."

"She's not the only one!" puffed Crawford. "The news is going to have a field day! We had Izetta cornered and she slipped through our fingers yet again! All it needs is for the story of that Qilin's escape to get out, and I'll be a laughingstock! Well…I'd better go and notify the Council…."

"And the Heartless?" said Professor Holbrooke. "They'll be removed from the school, I trust?"

"Oh yes, they'll have to go," said Crawford, running his fingers distractedly through his beard. "Never dreamed they'd attempt to administer the Heart of Darkness on an innocent girl…. Completely out of control…no, I'll have them packed off back to Dol Guldur tonight…."

"The sooner, the better, in my opinion," said Croix, smiling at Akko and Diana. As she, Holbrooke, and Crawford left the dormitory, Porlyusica hurried to the door and locked it again. Muttering angrily to herself, she headed back to her office.

There was a low moan from the other end of the ward. Lotte had woken up. They could see her sitting up, rubbing her head, and groping the side table for her glasses. She put them on and looked around, slightly bewildered.

"What – what happened?" she groaned. "Akko? Why are we in here? Where's Izetta? Where's Amon? What's going on?"

Akko and Diana looked at each other.

"You tell her," said Akko, helping herself to some more tea.

* * *

Everyone made a full recovery by the next day. Once she had been given the go ahead, Diana helped escort Wendy back to her dormitory, explaining the events that led to Qing's release. Wendy looked so relieved that she was almost crying. Ursula was already gone by the time Akko had woken up, and, to even greater relief, Blair had finally woken from her coma, gaining enough strength to transform into her human state, though she was still physically weak and needed to stay inside the hospital wing a little longer. Akko, Lotte, and Sucy explained everything that had happened while she was unconscious: winning the Chariot Cup, Izetta, the truth about what happened at Zurich, and Amon unfortunate escape.

"Thank god…," said Blair, sounding relieved. "I never wanted to believe that Izetta was capable of doing all those things. I never did trust Amon – he never took off that mask of his. I only wish I had been there to help you kids."

"Yeah, it's pretty convenient how you just now wake up after everything is over," said Sucy dryly.

"Sucy!" Lotte scolded her.

When they left the hospital wing at noon the next day, it was to find an almost deserted castle. The sweltering heat and the end of the exams meant that everyone was taking advantage of another Blytonbury visit. Neither Lotte nor Sucy felt like going, however, so they and Akko wandered onto the grounds, still talking about the extraordinary events of the previous night and wondering where Izetta and Qing were now. Sitting near the lake, watching the Kraken waving its tentacles lazily above the water, Akko lost the thread of the conversation as she looked across to the opposite bank. That warm, brilliant light that had protected her last night….

She heard a drip in the calm water looked down. A tiny goldfish with a pointed witch's hat had just surfaced from the lake, looking up at them open-mouthed. None of them were truly surprised when the goldfish exploded in a ray of green light and Professor Pisces walked on to the shore next to them, ringing out the wetness in her hair with a pleasant smile.

"I know I shouldn't feel happy after what happened last night," she said. "I mean, Izetta escaping again and everything – but guess what?"

"What?" they said, pretending to look curious.

"Qing! He escaped! He's free! I've been celebrating all night!"

"That's wonderful!" said Lotte, giving Sucy a reproving look because she looked as though she was close to laughing.

"Yeah…probably didn't tie him up properly," said Professor Pisces, gazing happily out over the grounds. "It's at least a slight bright spot on this morning, after the news about Professor Ursula and everything…."

"What do you mean?" said Akko quickly.

"Oh, I suppose you haven't heard," said Professor Pisces, her smile fading a little. "She probably didn't say anything to you girls because she didn't want you to worry…. You see, and I just found out about this myself, Professor Ursula's health has been failing for quite some time, constantly needing regular medicine and stuff…. But last night, it took a turn for the worst…. I don't know what happened last night, but it was really bad…Professor Ursula is being taken away to a special hospital…. She's packing her things now."

Akko scrambled to her feet.

"I'm going to see her," she said to Lotte and Sucy.

"Do you want us to come with you – "

"We can be moral support – "

"No, I want to go see her alone for now. I'll meet you back here."

* * *

Ursula's door was open. There was a large suitcase on her cluttered desk, which was open and nearly full. Croix was bustling around the room packing up the last of her things. Ursula was sitting down, looking pale and clammy, bending over something on the coffee table and only looked up when Akko knocked on the door.

"I saw you coming," said Ursula, smiling. She pointed to the book she had been poring over. It was the Shiny Guide Book.

"I just heard from Professor Pisces," said Akko. "And she said you were leaving because of your health. Is that true?"

"I'm afraid it is," said Croix, busily folding one of Ursula's shirts. "I'm afraid that Amon's bloodbending has only worsened her condition. It's gotten to the point where my own concoctions are not enough to help her along."

"What are you going to do?" asked Akko. "Is Professor Ursula going to…."

"There is a doctor stationed somewhere in the middle east by the name of Angela Zeigler," said Croix. "She's a world-renowned scientist and a peerless surgeon who has created nanotechnology that radically improved the treatment of life-threatening illnesses and injuries. After pulling a few strings, I managed to track her down and ask her to take in Professor Ursula to see if she can treat her condition."

"Then she's going to be okay, right?"

"I wouldn't be so sure, Akko," said Ursula with a weak smile. "The source of my ailment is something that can't be explained with science. At most, it should buy me a few more years…. Just long enough to complete some unfinished business."

"I don't want to lose you!" said Akko. "You're the best teacher I ever had! You've believed in me more than anyone else!"

"Akko, please calm down," said Ursula in a soft, soothing voice. "I'm only going to be gone for a few weeks, and then I'll be right back…. There are still so many things I want to teach you before I…before I go. And from what Professor Croix told me this morning, you saved a lot of lives last night, Akko. If I'm proud of anything I've done as your teacher, it's how much you've learned…. You mastered the Shiny Balai and learned to perform a perfect Light Spell, correct?"

"I had a little help from Diana," said Akko, distracted. "Who would have thought her family's motto would be the Word?"

"Well, Diana's ancestor was one of the Nine Olde Witches," said Ursula. "But more than that, you mastered the Light Spell and drove back the Heartless. Though I'm not happy about who you learned it from, it is an outstanding achievement nonetheless. You should be proud of yourself. Of all the thing's you've done this year. You've come far from that clumsy girl we knew in First Year."

At that time, Croix finished folding the last of Ursula's clothes and shut the suitcase with a _snap_.

"You're ready to go, Professor," said Croix. "Sure you don't want me to come with you?"

"It's all right," said Ursula, waving her off. "An old friend offered me a ride on her newly acquired Qilin, and I wouldn't want to miss out on the opportunity."

"Lucky," said Croix, smirking.

"Oh, before I forget – I brought this back from the Tree of Woodward this morning," said Ursula, reaching into her pocket and handing Akko back the Ring of Gyges. "And…" She hesitated, then closed the Shiny Guide Book and pushed it closer to Akko. "I did say that I would expel you if you got into any trouble again…though I suppose this time it was more my fault…. And I'm sure Chariot would be very displeased knowing that her daughter wasn't putting this book to good use. Just promise me you won't cause _too_ much trouble."

"Professor, it's me," said Akko, grinning.

"Right, what was I thinking?" said Ursula, shaking her head amusingly.

There was a knock at the door. Akko hastily stuffed the Ring of Gyges in her pocket and the Shiny Guide Book down her tunic.

It was Professor Finnelan. She only spared Akko a small glance.

"There is a car waiting for you out front, Professor," she said.

"Thank you, Professor Finnelan," said Ursula.

She shakily got to her feet with a little assistance from Croix and picked up her suitcase.

"Well – this is good-bye for now, Miss Kagari," said Ursula, smiling. "I look forward to teaching you again next year."

"Here, let me at least help you to the car…," said Croix insistently.

"I hope you feel better soon, Professor," said Professor Finnelan soberly.

Croix grabbed Ursula by the arm and guided her to the door, Ursula looking over her shoulder with a final nod and a swift smile to Akko before they left the room.

Akko stared at the open door for the longest time, a sinking feeling in her chest, before she turned to Professor Finnelan, who was also watching them leave.

"If there is something you wish to say to me, Miss Kagari," said Professor Finnelan without looking, "I suggest you say it now. I have a lot of paperwork ahead of me, double now that I have to take on Professor Ursula's share while she is gone."

"What you did was going way too far," said Akko bitterly. "I understand why you hate Shiny Chariot, and you hate me because she's my mom, but doing that to Izetta – "

"What are you talking about, you ridiculous girl," Professor Finnelan snapped, turning her head toward Akko. "I don't hate you."

"ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME?" roared Akko. "Ever since my first year, you've done nothing but give me a hard time! Pushing extra homework just for me, giving me detention for every little thing, humiliate me in class, and you even threatened to expel me last year! How else could I take that except knowing you hate me?"

"The reason why I push you harder than everyone is because I expect more from you, Miss Kagari!" shouted Professor Finnelan. "I push you because I want you to do better!"

"Wh-what?" said Akko, shaking her head in disbelief. "How does that work?"

Professor Finnelan let out a tired sigh, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She took a deep, calming breath, walked across the room, and took a seat on the chair Ursula had vacated. She gestured to the chair across the table, insisting on Akko to take it. She was slightly hesitant to do so, but Akko did as she was told. Professor Finnelan let out another tired sigh, shook her head, and looked up at Akko. For the first time that she had known the Alchemy teacher, she didn't at Akko with contempt like she usually does. If anything, she looked slightly mournful.

"Miss Kagari, do you think I _like_ punishing you?" said Professor Finnelan solemnly. "Do you think I _want_ to see you fail. I don't – I never did – but I have to do it if you are ever going to improve. Yes, it is true that I hate your mother and your aunt for my daughter's death, but you have nothing to do with that. You are an innocent party in all of this. My feelings towards your family have nothing to do with my feelings toward you, Miss Kagari."

"Then why do you treat me worse than everyone else?" asked Akko. "Ever since the first year, it always seems like you're going after me personally."

"I'm sorry if it seems that way, but it is not without a good reason," said Professor Finnelan. "Do you know what I saw when I first laid eyes on you at the Sorting Ceremony three years ago. I saw a bright young girl, eager to learn, filled with limitless potential. I knew from the first moment I saw you that you were capable of doing extraordinary things. I will confess that I was a little sad that you weren't sorted into my House. Even before I knew your Star-Born Child status.

"But when it came time for classes, I saw nothing but disappointment. I knew you were eager to learn magic, but you were always goofing off, or not paying attention, or trying to do things without putting in the work. Then there was all the rule breaking, the vandalism, and everything else you seem to get in trouble for on a daily basis. When I saw how you acted, I knew you had to be disciplined. So I had to become harsher, stricter, and make sure you never got away with any nonsense."

"And that includes threatening to expel me," Akko muttered dryly.

"You flew all the way from New York on a broomstick," Professor Finnelan retorted; Akko whistled innocently. "Miss Kagari, you are a brilliant young witch. You've proven that repeatedly in all of your written exams. Your test scores easily rival those of Miss Cavendish, and sometimes even surpasses them in such subjects like History of Magic and Magic Astronomy. But your work ethic is that…well, you don't have one. You think that if you try hard enough, you can do it without putting in the effort. That's the real reason why you've been doing terribly in your practical lessons."

"But I can use all the spells from the Shiny Rod just fine!" said Akko defiantly.

"That's because you were willing to work for them," said Professor Finnelan. "You endured trials unlike any other in order to obtain them, and that's why you can perform them so naturally. The same with the Light Spell you performed last night – yes, I interrogated Professor Ursula about that one," she answered to Akko's bewildered expression. "And that's why is makes me so sad to see you wasting such talent in class when I know you have what it takes to do better. You may not believe it, Miss Kagari, but I want you to become the best witch you can possibly be. To leave Luna Nova without any regrets and to have the strength to stand up on your own and take hold of your dream with your own two hands…that is all I want from you, Miss Kagari."

Akko bit her lip, trying to think of something to say back. This was Professor Finnelan – she's had it out for Akko since the beginning. There was no reason why she should believe anything from the teacher who has always made her school days miserable…. But there was an undeniable sense of sincerity in her voice that made Akko second-guess herself. And now that she thought about it, Professor Finnelan wasn't entirely wrong…. Akko couldn't deny that she could have been a better student all these years….

Professor Finnelan suddenly stood up, snapping Akko out of her stupor.

"I am not going to change, Miss Kagari," said Professor Finnelan firmly. "I _will_ keep pushing you harder and I _will_ punish you when you deserve it, because I want you to succeed. I don't care if you end up hating me by the time you graduate. As long as you leave this school better than when you arrive, then I will know that I have done my job as an educator. The same goes for all of your friends. You all have such wonderful future's ahead of you…I would hate to see it all go to waste…."

And with that, she walked around Akko's seat and marched purposely for the door, leaving Akko to stare at the floor, lost in her own thoughts. Professor Finnelan paused at the door, turned around, and said, "My daughter gave her life for you because she thought you were something worth protecting…. Don't let her sacrifice be for nothing…."

And Professor Finnelan left the office, leaving Akko to her very confused thoughts.

* * *

Nobody at Luna Nova knew the truth of what had happened the night Izetta, Qing, and Amon had vanished except for those who had been there. As the end of term approached, Akko heard many different theories about what had really happened, but none of them came close to the truth.

Wendy had suddenly become a celebrity overnight. A rumor suddenly sprouted up the next day that Wendy had saved Diana Cavendish's life from Izetta when she had cornered her in the Tree of Woodward. Though it was the wrong person, it was the truth nonetheless, as it was Wendy that had knocked down Amon the first time. Akko had no idea who it was that had started the rumor, but she couldn't help noticing the smug look on Diana's face when they passed by another group of admirers fawning over Wendy. Though they weren't outwardly friendly, Diana and Wendy seemed to have become rather close friends and respectable rivals. Akko, on the other hand, suddenly saw Wendy as a rival in a different sense….

Though the weather was perfect, though the atmosphere was so cheerful, though she knew they had achieved the near impossible in helping Izetta to freedom, Akko had never approached the end of a school year in worse spirits.

She certainly wasn't the only one who was sorry that their White Magic teacher had got away, but while Akko was disappointed because Amon had escaped justice, everyone else was sad because they had lost an admittedly good teacher.

"Wonder what they'll give us next year?" said Makoto Kowata gloomily.

"Maybe they'll give us an immortal Black Wizard next," suggested Hayate Yagami hopefully.

"Hayate-chan, when have you ever been right?" said Nanoha Takamachi, rolling her eyes.

It wasn't only Amon's escape that was weighing on Akko's mind. She couldn't help thinking a lot about Professor Ursula and the Book of Dawn that had been in her possession. Akko had secretly checked her classroom for the Book again after she had left for the middle east, but it was unsurprisingly missing. She must have been aware that Akko had seen it and hid it somewhere else. The Book of Dawn had predicted her birth and the revival of the magic world, so she couldn't help wondering where the remaining two Books were and who had them. But the thing that was lowing Akko's spirits most of all was Izetta. For maybe half an hour, a glorious half hour, she believed she would finally have her original family back…. It would have been the next best thing to having Shiny Chariot back. And while no news of Izetta was definitely good news, because it meant she had successfully gone into hiding, Akko couldn't help feeling miserable when she thought of the adventures they could have had, and the fact that it was now impossible.

The exam results come out on the last day of term. It had been a very close race, but Diana came out as the top ranked student above Wendy by only a couple points due to her extra classes. And as usual, Akko's practical exams were subpar and were only made up by the written ones. Akko remembered what Finnelan had said to her that morning in Ursula's office and decided right then and there that were would work harder next year, if nothing but to get Finnelan off her back. And speaking of Professor Finnelan, the old Alchemy teacher stayed true to her promise and did not relent on her harsh treatment of Akko, finding new ways to punish her with detention every time she thought she was causing mischief. Akko's feelings towards Professor Finnelan didn't change much either, but at least they now had a mutual understanding – that was better than nothing, Akko supposed.

Amelia O'Neill pulled out a decent amount of M.O.M.s, just enough to qualify her a job in the Magic Council according to her. Rashmi had made top marks in her S.T.A.R.s, but Rajani only barely managed to scrap by in the practical exams where she completely bombed the written portions. Polaris House, meanwhile, largely thanks to their spectacular performance in the Chariot Cup, had won the House Championship for the first time since Akko arrived in Luna Nova. But while Akko had won the Moonlit Witch two years in a row, this year was Wendy's turn to be lifted on to people's shoulders, donning the feathery cape and horned hat, while everyone sang praises of Wendy's bravery, Diana being the loudest among them. Even Akko managed to forget about the events of the past few days as she ate, drank, talked, and laughed with the rest.

* * *

As the Mystic Rail pulled out of the station the next morning, Diana gave their party some surprising news.

"I went to see Professor Croix this morning, just before breakfast. I've decided to drop Magic Numerology."

"But you passed your exam with three hundred and twenty percent!" said Hannah.

"I know," sighed Diana, "but I thought long and hard and I came to realize…I _hate_ Magic Numerology! I hate it with every fiber of my being! But besides that, I can't stand another year like this one. That Chronal Accelerator, it was driving me mad. I've handed it in. Without Magic Numerology and Foretelling, I'll be able to have a normal schedule again."

"I still can't _believe_ you didn't tell us about that," said Amanda grumpily, then turned to Constanze. "And I can't believe _you_ kept your mouth shut about it. We're supposed to be _friends_."

" _I promised the Professor I wouldn't tell anyone,_ " said Stan-Bot severely. She looked around at Akko, who was watching the town disappear in a blur of color….

"Oh, cheer up, Akko!" said Jasminka sadly.

"I'm okay," said Akko quickly. "Just thinking about the holidays."

"Well, I might have something that will help with that," said Sucy. "My mom is the Head Doctor at the Alchemilla Hospital. She usually gets tickets every year for the International Chariot Race Tournament every summer. I was thinking maybe you and Lotte would like to come over during the summer and we could see it together."

"It's rather unusual for you to invite people," said Lotte, leering at Sucy suspiciously. "…you just want to experiment on Akko over the summer, don't you."

"I will neither confirm nor deny this," said Sucy plainly.

"That's actually pretty good," said Amanda brightly. "My mom gets tickets every year, too. Pays to have someone in the family with a seat on the Magic Council. I was just going to invite Constanze and Jasminka to come with me, but I guess we'll meet up with you there."

"It goes without saying that the Cavendish Family is always invited with the best seats," said Diana haughtily, casually tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Usually it's just Hannah, Barbara, and I, but I suppose we can stop by to visit you all before the match. It would be highly unlikely we would be seated near each other during the match, especially you, O'Neill."

"Do you want me to punch your teeth in?" growled Amanda.

"So then it's agreed," said Lotte quickly before a fight broke out. "We'll all meet up at the International Chariot Race Tournament. Sounds like fun, right, Akko?"

This proposal had the effect of cheering Akko up a great deal.

"Yeah…it sounds awesome. I've never seen a professional Chariot Race before…."

Feeling considerably more cheerful, Akko joined Lotte, Amanda, and Barbara in several games of cards, and when the attendant with the cart arrived, she bought herself a very large lunch, though she avoided any tea they offered.

But it was late in the afternoon before the thing that made her truly happy turned up….

"Sorry I'm late, kids," called Blair's voice walking down the aisle. "Had to pick up some stuff and you guys left without me. You know how hard it is to catch up to a magic train?"

Akko turned around in her seat and looked down. Blair was padding down the aisle in her cat form, carefully balancing a large, lumpy box equal to her in size, tied in worn out piece of rope with a small, coffee-stained letter tucked into it. Akko bended down and took the poorly made parcel off of Blair's head. She looked at the letter and saw that it had her name scrawled hastily on it.

"Who's it from?" Akko asked curiously.

"You're gonna have to read it to find out," said Blair with a Cheshire grin, leaping to the top of Akko's head rest and peering from above. "Go on, open it."

Akko picked up the note, ripped it open, and shouted, "It's from Iz – I mean, my aunt!"

"What?" said everyone excitedly, leaning in closer. "Read it! Read it!"

 _ **Dear Akko,**_

 _ **I hope this find you before you reach your parents. I wanted to say some things before you went back to your normal life**_

 _ **Qing and I are in hiding. I won't tell you where, in case this letter falls into the wrong hands. I was surprised that Blair  
managed to find us so quickly and I have nothing but faith in her, but she is usually more trouble than she's worth.**_

 _ **I believe the Heartless are still searching for me, but they haven't got a chance of finding me here. I am planning to allow  
some people to glimpse me soon, a long way from Luna Nova, so that the security on the castle will be lifted.**_

 _ **You probably already figured it out by now, but I thought you should know that I was the merchant that tried to sell you  
the Shiny Balai in Finland. I wasn't aware that you already had a magnificent broom, but I thought it would be worth  
giving to you either way. Unfortunately, Holbrooke showed up and I couldn't show myself just yet. I had to slip it in the Shiny  
Rod as Mikko one night. A rather nasty way of giving a present, but I hope this makes up for thirteen years' worth of  
birthdays I unfortunately missed.**_

 _ **I would also like to apologize for all the trouble I have given you this year. That night in the park, the scare on Halloween,  
all of it. I went to Luna Nova out of a personal vendetta, but you can't imagine how proud I was to see my little niece grow  
up. You have the Du Nord Family eyes, you know that.**_

 _ **During my travels, I ran into someone you might know and enclosed something for you that should make your next year at  
Luna Nova more enjoyable.**_

 _ **If you ever need me, send word. I promise I will come running.**_

 _ **I'll write again soon.**_

 _ **Izetta.**_

Akko looked eagerly inside the envelope. There was another piece of paper in there. She read it through quickly and felt suddenly like she was floating, her heart filled with warmth and contained joy.

 _ **I, Chariot Pleiades**_ _ **Du Nord, hereby give my daughter, Atsuko Rukia Kagari, permission to visit Blytonbury on weekends.**_

"It's written by my mom!" said Akko happily.

"I can't believe she managed to track down Shiny Chariot," said Diana, staring at the signature with awe and want.

Akko looked back at Izetta's letter.

"Hang on, there's a P.S…."

 _ **Since it's kind of my fault that Lotte doesn't have a pet any more, I thought she might like a new one. Just make sure to be careful with it around water, it hates bright sunlight, and don't feed it after midnight.**_

"What'd she send you, a gremlin?" said Amanda.

Akko handed the lumpy box over to Lotte, who carefully pulled on the withered rope and opened the box.

Before anybody realized what happened, something hopped out of the box and latched itself on to Lotte's face. The bespectacled girl flailed her arms around in a panic, smacking Blair off the headrest, before finally calming down enough to take a hold of the creature and rip it off. She took a deep, gasping breath and looked at her newest pet –

"Harukakka!" the creature cried.

It looked like a tiny human with a head that was disproportionate to its body – a puchi, if Akko remembered from their trip to Blake's Menagerie. The little human had short brunette hair with pink ribbons on either side, very large green eyes and an unnaturally wide mouth. The little puchi waved its stubby arms around happily toward Lotte, making playful noises.

"Ooh, how cute!" Hannah squealed.

"What're you gonna call it?" asked Barbara.

"Mmm…how about…Harukasan?" said Lotte.

"Why'd you choose that name?" asked Sucy.

"I have no idea," said Lotte curiously. "It was like some mysterious godly force made me name her."

Akko read and reread the letter from Izetta all the way back into Shibuya Station. It was still clutched tightly in her hand as she and a number of Japanese students stepped off the train onto the platform where their families were waiting. Blair hopped onto Akko's shoulder and they turned back to the train waving good-bye to their friends leaning out the windows before the train started up again.

"We'll call you about the Chariot Tournament!" Lotte shouted as the train started gaining speed, and then they disappeared around the bend and out of sight. Akko wheeled the trolley bearing her luggage around towards the ramp when she spotted her father running toward her, sweating like he had just run a marathon.

" _Otou-san_ , what's wrong?" asked Akko worriedly when he father stopped in front of her.

"Akko – you need – to run," Mr. Kagari wheezed. "It's your mother – she is – "

But before he could finish what he was saying, he suddenly froze up, a look of pure terror spreading across his face. Akko suddenly felt a hand falling on top of her head, finger starting to dig painfully into her skull with an iron grip, and she hear the voice that made her insides turn to ice.

" _ **Look who decided to show up again**_ ," came the terrifyingly cold voice of Mrs. Kagari. " _ **After turning your aunt into a hippo and running away for nearly a year…I didn't think you had the guts to come back**_ …."

"I-I-I-I was hoping you had forgotten about that," Akko shuddered fearfully.

" _ **Oh, I haven't – it's the only thing that's been on my mind for the last eleven months**_ ," hissed Mrs. Kagari. " _ **I hope you said your fond farewells to your friends, Atsuko…because you might not be seeing them again when I am through with you**_ …."

"WAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Akko cried.

* * *

While Akko was receiving the worst punishment in her short, unnatural life all the way in Japan, Annabelle Crème was walking through the deserted halls of Luna Nova, finally having the peace and quite she desperately needed to finish her novel. She was nearly finished – she just needed to come up with an ending for the protagonist and her friends to defeat the titanic monster. She was chewing on the end of her magic pen thoughtfully when she heard a loud clatter coming from her right.

It was coming from Professor Croix's laboratory – she had left the door open again.

There was a lot of noise going on inside, like someone was tossing stuff around. Annabelle Crème was very young and naturally curious, so it came as no surprise when she walked inside to check on things; she ducked out of the way in time when a beaker sent flying over her head.

"Where is it? Where is it?" Croix muttered to herself. She was running around her mess of a laboratory, throwing around piles of papers, unnamed gadgets, and even the sink, all in a desperate bid to look for something. "Come on, I know it was around here somewhere."

"Excuse me, Professor Croix," said Annabelle Crème out loud, rapping her knuckles on the door. "Is there a problem?"

"Oh, it's you, Professor Crème," said Croix, looking over her shoulder in surprise. "Oh, it's nothing to worry about. I just lost something and I can't figure out where to find it."

"Did you ever consider cleaning up," said Annabelle Crème, noting the cup of half-finished ramen sitting on one of the computer towers. "What're you looking for anywhere?"

"I finished building the completed version of my Chronal Accelerator a couple weeks ago," said Croix, scratching her head. "After I received the final data report from Miss Cavendish, I decided that it was a wash and was planning on scrapping the whole thing for parts. But now that I'm looking for it, I can't seem to find it anywhere. Which is really weird, because it never left my workbench."

"You think somebody took it?" asked Annabelle Crème.

"I don't see why they would," said Croix, shrugging her shoulders. "It may be finished, but the amount of power that thing needs to charge is astronomical. It's useless without a suitable power source. Who would want that useless thing?"

* * *

It had been a long journey for him, but Amon had finally made it to his destination.

He had crossed the ocean and an entire continent to reach this small, backwater town in the middle of nowhere off the country's shore. But when he arrived, instead of finding a small, quiet town, he was greeted with the sight of carnage and destruction. The quaint little buildings had been absolutely shredded into bits of lumber, cars were tossed every which way, some of them smashing into shops and homes, and even the distant lighthouse had been cut in half. It looked like a tornado had plowed through this town – and according to the news reports he heard on the way here, that's exactly what happened.

There was no sign of life anywhere from where he was standing – it seemed like the entire town had been killed in the freak storm that had appeared out of nowhere…. Or that's what he thought until he saw movement near the border.

He could only see it from a distance, but Amon could barely make out the crude, dilapidated pickup truck leaving the town limits. And the people inside – two girls from what he could see. Amon smiled under his mask.

As the truck fled off into the distance, Amon slowly started to follow, stepped over the broken sign in the middle of the street that bore the former town's name: _**Arcadia Bay**_

* * *

 **And that finally brings and end to the White Witch. This has been one of the biggest turning points in the entire series with a lot of surprising revelations, including the revelation that the so-called big bad Aradia that everyone thought was the main antagonist was actually fake. And now you all must be wondering, if Aradia isn't the series main antagonist, then who is? Well, you're going to have to wait until the next book to find out. And trust me, if any of you have figured out who it is by now, then you must have the power to see into the future, too.**

 **And it also revealed that something is wrong with Ursula, something that has been plaguing her for a long time. This will play an important role in Akko's life in the next several books, and the truth behind this disease may cause Akko to question everything she believed in.**

 **Up next is the biggest event in Akko's life. An event that takes place once every seven years is coming to Luna Nova, and Akko once again finds herself in the middle of everything. The Contest of Champions has arrived, and five students from Luna Nova will be chosen to compete in a tournament against seven rival schools. But there are many secrets lurking in the shadows, including a mysterious and dangerous new teacher, a hidden conspiracy that had been at work for centuries, and worst of all, the greatest threat that the world has ever known finally reveals themselves. Don't miss the exciting next installment: Akko Kagari and the Contest of Champions!**

* * *

 **Oh, and I have one more announcement to make. Having gained enough experience thus far, I have decided to branch out and…start my own original story! That's right, it won't be another parody, but an original story with an original plot! It will be called Serenity Academy, and, as you may have guessed, it will have a school setting just like the Akko Kagari series. But this series won't focus solely on magic, but a variety of different things including science and spirits. Some famous characters like Natsu, Ichigo, and Accelerator will appear, along with some lesser known characters like Eruna Ichinomiya and Squid Girl. It will likely be in the anime x-over category, so be on the lookout.**

 **Since this is an original story, it will likely take me longer to write, but I will try to balance work between the Akko Kagari series and Serenity Academy series. Please look forward to them.**


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